For Friends Of The Bereaved
In America, a large portion of the population wishes to have a funeral service of one type or another, when they have lost a loved one. There are traditional funerals, funerals centered around religious preferences, celebrations of life, to name a few variations. The possibilities are endless. Unless a funeral is preplanned, it is usually taken care of by grief-stricken family members, of which they have proceeded in death.
To ease the burden of the bereaved, American Heritage Cemetery and Funeral Home Crematory does all we can to be of assistance. We are flexible, will go above and beyond in our efforts to ease your pain, and will be of immeasurable assistance where and whenever we can.
But what can a friend of the bereaved do to make the entire grieving process, funeral, etc. more tolerable for loved ones of the deceased?
Before You Help the Bereaved – Help Yourself!
The deep emotion that is associated with a death, radiates out to a large perimeter of relationships. In any instance, adequate preparation and self-care is necessary prior to effectively offering support to the rest of those mourning a common loss. To prepare yourself for what is to come, here are some things to consider:
- Remember to pace yourself. This may take some time and it could make day to day functions emotionally exhausting.
- Try to use sensitive verbiage – i.e., instead of "died", say "passed away".
- There is a process to grieving with which you should familiarize yourself.
- If you have had a grieving experience, try to empathize, it can effectively help assist with the bereaved and their emotional hardship.
Remember, you must take care of yourself before you can hope to even begin to offer stability for anyone else.
Practical Ways You Can Help the Bereaved
Here are some practical areas of opportunity, that may offer support and assistance to ease the burdens amidst the heartbreak:
- Help with funeral arrangements.
- Encourage the bereaved to make time to rest.
- Pick up their out-of-town relatives and friends.
- Help run errands.
- Offer assistance with the children.
- Help make phone calls.
How to Help out Emotionally
Now that we've offered practical suggestions, here are some ways in which you can help the bereaved emotionally:
- Help identify local resources.
- Watch your friend for depression.
- Share fun, happy, loving memories.
- Keep an eye on the children (behavior-wise) and consider their emotional needs.
- Assist with sending out thank you notes.
- Help your friend organize her or his daily tasks.
- Be a good listener.
- Practice good communication skills.
- Make sure you do not commit to more time than you are able to give/handle for your own wellbeing.
Dealing with Grief as a Loved One or Friend
We, at American Heritage Cemetery Funeral Home and Crematory, understand that for both the bereaved and friends of the family of the deceased, grief can be life impacting. Although everyone deals with the grieving process in different ways, some people have an extraordinarily hard time with it. We are sympathetic to that. For that reason, we offer an array of services to assist with grief and healing consisting of the following:
- Interactive aftercare
- Daily email affirmations
- Grief support resources
- Grief support guide
- An available staff that is sympathetic and compassionate.
Contact us today at American Heritage Cemetery and Funeral Home Crematory to discuss details, ask questions, or set up an appointment.
