The Joys of Caregiving
Rick shares insights and lessons learned while caring for his elderly parents.
Grief and loss can be difficult for some caregivers. They may experience loss and bereavement in their own way; some will mourn using cultural/social practices while others may have unique ways of grieving as they learn to live with loss.
Explore the resources below to find some tips and insights for moving forward.
If you are in crisis and need immediate assistance, please call 911 for a medical emergency or 988 for a mental health crisis, or reach out to a crisis service in your area.
Understanding the different types of grief and loss can help you identify your emotions and experiences more clearly[i].
Common types of grief and loss include:
To learn more about grief and loss types, please visit:
Elizz – Palliative Care: Types of Grief and Loss
Canadian Psychological Association – Psychology Works Fact Sheets” Grief in Adults
[i] Gillette, H. (2022, December 19). What are the types of grief? Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/health/types-of-grief
After the loss of someone, the pain can often feel unimaginable, and how you cope may depend on many factors such as:
Knowing that your feelings are valid in response to a significant loss is essential.
Dr. Patrick McGrath, a clinical psychologist and founder and president of 90Second Caregiver, provides a few coping strategies and tools for caregivers.
Going back to work following the death of the person you are caring for can be challenging. As you re-enter your workplace, consider:
Communicate with your supervisor or human resources department about what you’re comfortable with sharing, how to manage conversations and any other concerns you may have. For help navigating these conversations, download our toolkit for caregivers in the workplace: Work and Caregiving: A balancing act Toolkit
Helpful Resources
Bereavement Leave – Published by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (Ontario).
What is Grief? – Published by Manulife, and includes the section, “Make the return to work easier”.
Someone you Care About is Grieving – Published by Workplace Strategies for Mental Health, from Canada Life.
Rick
Caring for: Mother & Father
Rick shares insights and lessons learned while caring for his elderly parents.
Here are a list of suggested pages based off this topic.
Take our quiz to get helpful resources based directly on your needs.