November is Worldwide Bereaved Siblings Month and it’s a good time to think about how you can support a senior parent who has lost a sibling or multiple siblings. Being the only remaining sibling can be very difficult for seniors, especially if they had close relationships with their siblings. It’s not unusual for a senior to develop depression or anxiety after losing a sibling that they loved and were close to. The grief process can be even tougher for seniors who have lost a twin. Consider hiring companion care at home aides to fill the void.
Your support can really help a senior loved one navigate grieving for a sibling. Some of the things that you can do to provide emotional support and help them heal from their loss are:
Companion Care At Home
Loneliness is one of the hardest aspects of grieving for a sibling, especially if your senior parent spent a lot of time with their sibling. Companion care at home can help fill in that empty space. It won’t replace your aunt or uncle but companion care at home gives seniors someone to talk with, someone to do activities with, and the social connection that they need. Not being alone can help seniors not feel so overwhelmed by sadness.
Talk About Your Aunt Or Uncle Often
It might seem like it’s insensitive or hurtful to talk about your aunt or uncle when your senior parent is grieving for them. But in most cases, your senior loved one will probably be glad to talk about them and hear their names. You can ask to be sure it’s ok if you talk about them if you’re concerned about hurting your senior loved one by talking about them. Talking about your aunt or uncle will help keep their memories alive and help your senior loved one remember them.
Record Family Stories About Them
A great way to help your senior parent manage their grief about losing a beloved sibling is to record your senior loved one telling family stories about them and their brother or sister. By talking about their siblings your senior loved one will get to bring them back to the world even if it’s just for a few minutes. And then you will have the recordings to bring your comfort when you no longer have your senior parent. You will love having videos of your senior loved one telling stories and having the family history recorded.
Fill A Digital Photo Frame With Photos Of Them Together
Digital photo frames are fantastic because you can load them with huge numbers of photos and they will slideshow those photos so that anyone looking at the frame will see a different picture every few seconds. You can use your phone to upload photos to the frame. Seniors or their family members can use their smartphones to load plenty of photos of your senior loved one and their sibling together. Use a different frame for different siblings so that each sibling has their set of photos for your senior parent.