An impending loss can leave us devastated, with sorrow resurfacing at holidays, birthdays and anniversaries as reminders.
Supportive friends and family are an essential resource during times of grief. Let them know what assistance you require-even if it’s just an embrace- and take note that everyone grieves differently.
Contact a House Clearance Service
The death of a loved one can be a heartbreaking event and brings with it many tasks related to them, including cleaning out their home and disposing of any no longer useful items.
Many times the deceased has provided for house clearance services in their will or at least appointed someone responsible; otherwise this responsibility typically falls to next of kin.
Clearing out someone’s possessions can be an emotionally charged experience, particularly if there are sentimental items like photographs and books involved. To begin this process efficiently and make decisions more quickly, begin with these sentimental items first before moving onto other household contents.
When you have an idea of what there is in the home, decide whether you wish to keep, donate or sell certain items before hiring professional services who offer tailored solutions tailored specifically for you. Professionals like the ones at www.ridlyrubbishremoval.com.au have experience in this sort of work. They can ensure the process is completed quickly and as painlessly as possible.
Items belonging to your loved one could be donated to charities that they supported or possibly their children; others can be sold at auction or stored away for future use. Deciding what to do with unwanted items will help clear away clutter in the home and free up space for anyone living there; change locks once everything has been or stored so no other parties have access.
At such an emotional time, it’s essential that you seek support and assistance from friends, family or professional counselors or pastors. Be honest with yourself regarding the depth of your feelings without trying to ignore or force them away.
As you go through the grieving process, it can be helpful to establish some form of routine in your life. If there were things your loved one did with you regularly – such as attending sports events or listening to music – that were important, continue doing them even after they have passed away. This will help you cope better with their loss and maintain some sense of connection between both of you.
Call a Funeral Director
Within 24 hours of your loved one’s passing, it is advisable to contact a funeral home and meet with a director to make funeral arrangements. While these decisions can be hard during a time of grieving, funeral directors have years of experience and want to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Funeral homes also require legal certification of death from hospitals, nursing facilities, or homes (if the person died at home). If you don’t know who your doctor is directly, or don’t have their number handy, contact his or her office directly or enlist the assistance of someone close to do this for you.
Once you contact a funeral home, they will arrange to pick up the body according to local laws and procedures. Typically this involves both police officers and medical examiners but it depends on how your loved one died as this may not always be required.
If your loved one was insured with final expense life insurance policies, contact their agent who helped them secure them to receive death benefits from them. The insurer will work on providing them to you.
Other individuals that should be informed of your loved one’s passing include their employer, bank or credit union, social media accounts and children’s schools. If they had pets as well, you should also inform their veterinarian.
If the deceased doesn’t reside nearby, ask their friends and family members to take over taking care of their home for a few days – watering plants, taking out mail, throwing away food waste and looking after any animals that need caretaking.
Additionally, these individuals could check bills that need paying, help find important documents such as their will or pre-arrangement paperwork as well as accompany you on visits to cemeteries so as to alleviate stress for themselves as well.\
Prepare the Burial Place
Once a loved one passes, it’s essential that funeral arrangements be completed promptly in order to respect their final wishes and fulfill any religious, ethnic or cultural customs that must be observed immediately upon death.
You should reach out directly to funeral homes offering prepayment plans as this allows the best chance of fulfilling all final wishes and wishes of deceased loved ones.
If the person passed away at a hospital, nursing facility, or hospice center, staff may ask that you remove their body quickly. If this is the case for you, request time with family to say their final goodbyes before making arrangements with a funeral home to transport the remains.
Alternatively, request that the body be transported directly back for care and refrigeration prior to its burial or interment.
Once the funeral or memorial service has concluded, it’s time to arrange the burial site. This could include providing the deceased with a casket or urn vault, grave marker and flowers.
You should also design and print any stationery such as funeral programs or slideshows that will be needed; now is also an opportune time to consider any charitable or religious organizations they might have been part of during life.
When choosing between traditional burial and cremation for their loved one’s burial, many choose traditional to ensure their loved one will rest with dignity in the end. There may also be advantages to more simple burial options like shroud burial, natural cemeteries, or green burial.
Losing someone you love can be heartbreaking, yet preparing can help ease some of the most important tasks that must be completed to manage grief more easily for all those left behind.
Making a checklist may make this experience more manageable for everyone involved.
Take Care of Yourself
After experiencing a loss, taking care of yourself is of utmost importance. Make sure you eat healthily and rest adequately, avoiding alcohol and drugs as these may interfere with coping with grief.
Also postpone making any major life changes such as moving, remarrying or having another child until you have fully dealt with their death.
Participate in rituals, like memorial services and funerals, and express your emotions to others through support groups available from hospitals, hospices, funeral homes and counseling centers. It can also be comforting to draw strength from religious mourning rituals for comfort during this difficult time.
Many who have suffered a loss find that their emotions remain raw and intense for an extended period, even after they have completed all the tasks listed above.
They may find it hard to concentrate, sleep poorly at night and experience physical discomfort and pain; some find it difficult asking for assistance because they believe others don’t understand their suffering; it is important that people remember it takes time for healing; grief should not be painful.
Help someone grieving by helping with household tasks, running errands or cooking meals for them. Reach out by call or text and see if they would like to hang out; don’t pressure them if they decline.
It is also beneficial for them to express their emotions in healthy ways through journaling, letter writing or creating artwork to commemorate deceased persons as well as attending grief support groups.