How to Help a Grieving Family That’s Recently Lost a Loved One

When people suffer a loss, they naturally respond with grieving because of the pain and emptiness of such bereavement. This process can sometimes be overwhelming, especially when the loss is very recent and significant. 

Different kinds of emotions are felt throughout the family, from anger and shock to sadness and guilt. If not adequately addressed, these rollercoasters of emotions can affect their health, disrupting their diet, sleep, and other activities.

However, there are ways you can help a bereaved family cope with the loss healthily. If you wish to help, you can learn how to help a grieving family here in this article. These practices will make the grieving process more bearable and healthier for the family.

A Quick Explanation of What Grief Does 

One of the truest facts about grief is that it is an individual process- you cannot predict how someone might respond to a loss. It can be subtle and, at the same time, be so hard that it stops life in its tracks, making it tough to get through the day. 

Usually, a bereaved person goes through different levels of grief, and if they don't have ways to cope healthily, it may escalate. Some of the emotions a grieving person can experience include;

• Sadness
• Depression
• Shock
• Disbelief
• Denial
• Anger
• Numbness

These emotions occur because the mind is trying to protect the grieving person from the pain of loss. Although it may seem to be working at the early stage of grief- that is not the case. The more a person succumbs to the feelings, the more they go knee-deep into grief because they are not dealing with the pain yet. 

This is why it is always better for someone who has lost a loved one to find a way to process the loss. Usually, the bereaved themselves can't cope independently, meaning they will require some assistance to get through it all. The most helpful thing you can do for such people is to be there for them in ways that can help them cope.

If you are keen on helping a recently bereaved family cope with loss, see some ways to do that in the next section.

How to Help a Grieving Family: 5 Ideas You Can Consider to Help Them Navigate This Process

You can't fix grief, but there are ways to heal faster and deeper. See how to help a grieving family in different ways below;

Set Up an Online Memorial Website (With Their Approval)

A memorial is one way to reassure a family that their loved one lives forever in their heart. That is why many people visit the gravesite of the deceased to feel their presence once again. While most memorials are installed in the cemetery where the person is buried, you can also bring it closer to home by creating an online memorial website.

An online memorial site is a virtual tribute website created to help families and friends remember the fond memories of the deceased. At Forevory, we believe that memorializing is as important as grieving - it is a way to get through the grief. That is why we offer you a platform to create the best memorial website for your loved one. 

On Forevory, there are many creative ways to memorialize someone, from uploading their voice notes, videos, articles, and pictures to allowing friends and families to drop comments reminiscing fond memories with the deceased. Anyone visiting the profile can use the memories to navigate the grieving process.

If you have never had one, you can learn how to make an online memorial website from our resources on Forevory. Also, don't forget to get approval from the family before creating a profile for the deceased. While it is a nice gesture, let the family feel acknowledged by asking their permission.

Work With Others to Schedule Meal Deliveries to Their Home

Something as simple as delivering meals to the bereaved family's home can help them grieve healthily. Most people who grieve don't have time to cook or order fast food. They usually get lost in the process, ignoring their regular activities.

When you send them meals, they can maintain their health and stay in good shape. Most people don't like to waste complementary items. When they see the effort that you and others have put into sending down the meals, it will encourage them to eat.

To make it heartfelt, you can schedule special dishes the family used to have with the deceased. It will warm their heart and help them reminisce about the time they spent with their loved ones sharing lovely meals.

Start a GoFundMe for Funeral Expenses 

Planning a funeral can be overwhelming for a bereaved family, especially if it is a first. Helping them out by chipping in ideas to arrange the funeral is great. However, you can take it further by helping them to raise funds for the expenses. 

You can use a popular fundraising platform like GoFundMe to get others to contribute to the event. That can easily warm the hearts of the bereaved family, knowing that their loved one was such an amazing soul that people would contribute to their funeral. 

The love and commitment expressed can help them deal with the loss better and grieve more healthily.

Show Practical Support- Help with Different Chores At the House

Dealing with loss is hard. The grieving family will need all kinds of support they can get, including the practical aspect. For instance, they may be used to the deceased doing chores around the house, like gardening, grocery shopping, pet walking, etc. The family may not want to do those things, especially if the loss is recent because they can't handle the blow yet. 

You can help by offering help to do those tasks and other odd jobs around the house.  You can;

• Help with the kids
• Walk the pets
• Mow the lawn
• Run errands to the grocery store
• Clean the house
• Give sympathy gifts
• Help sort the deceased's belongings
• Teach the bereaved a few tricks on how to handle some tasks.
• Offer to accompany them when going out

Give Them a Break

Grieving is good because it helps the bereaved deal with the loss. However, the process can become harder on the family, and they may refuse to move on. They may spend time doing nothing but staring at the deceased pictures, sleeping all day, stopping all the hobbies they used to love, and more.

You can help out by distracting them a bit from the sunken feeling that has taken the better of them. Help them engage in normal activities to feel positive emotions and improve their state of mind. A healthy mind will process grief better than one in a very dark place. 

That is not to say you should push them to move on. Allow them to process the loss, but don't let it disrupt their dreams, goals, and entire existence. 

Final Thoughts on How to Help a Grieving Family That’s Recently Lost a Loved One

Understanding that grief is, in many ways, a forever experience plays a fundamental role in being a supportive family member or friend. Various occasions, such as anniversaries, holidays, birthdays, Mother's Day and Father's Day, weddings, and graduations, can be bittersweet or sad. In the days and years following a loss, your loved one needs you to support him or her. Fortunately, you can show your support by following our aforementioned handy tips on how to help a grieving family.

Don't forget that memorializing is an important part of getting through the grieving process. You can simply create a profile for the deceased with the family's approval on Forevory. That way, friends and family from all over can access it on the go and use it when remembering a loved one. 

Ready to create a profile for your loved one on Forevory? Head over to our site now to get started.