The natural order of life is for children to outlive their parents. If that natural order is disrupted it creates a life shattering scenario that no one is ever prepared to face. Losing a child is perhaps the most devastating emotional trauma that anyone can experience. Palliative care specialists and hospice are a great source of support for parents caring for a seriously ill child, especially when their child’s diagnosis becomes terminal.
There have not been many studies dedicated to grieving the loss of a child. The research that has been done indicates that the psychological damage parents suffer does not heal over time. They tend to experience intense sorrow and a display many of the characteristics of complicated grief. Simply defined, complicated grief is an unceasing despair that does not fade over time and interferes with a person’s ability to return to a normal life. Complicated grief requires professional counseling to overcome.
Common signs of complicated grief may include:
Intense lasting sorrow
Continued disbelief that their loved one is gone
Relentless preoccupation with their loved one's death
Extreme bitterness or anger
Obsession with reminders of their loved one
Sustained inability to enjoy happy memories of their loved one
Persistent longing for the deceased
Severe detachment
Excessive avoidance of reminders of their loved one
Compelling desire to join their loved one
Exaggerated distrust of others
Overwhelming hopelessness that life no longer has meaning
Escalating dread that interferes with the activities of daily living
Increased isolation from others and social activities
Displaced blame or an unrealistic idea that they could have prevented the death
Parents will try anything to save their child’s life, but when treatments are no longer effective, hospice care can ease the child’s discomfort and, in some cases, extend life. Hospice gives a terminally ill child the best possible quality of life while supporting distraught family members.
Take time this month to visit children’s hospitals in your service area to provide support for families facing the unthinkable.
Visit Tagwebstore.com for your hospice marketing media.
Related Resource: https://grief.com/books-on-the-loss-of-a-child/