Coping when a loved one is near to death

louiseuk 7 years ago

1 reply

hello everyone, my nan is coming to the end of her dementia journey after 7 years and i'm struggling to cope with all the emotions of getting the call and being at her bedside, i saw her last night and it was so upsetting, i'm feeling selfish cos it should be all about saying goodbye to my nan. Has anyone any tips of how to care for your own mental health when you have someone in your family that is close to death. Thanks

Support 7 years ago

Hi louiseuk,

Supporting a loved one through a terminal illness can bring intense emotions at times and this can be especially so when they are reaching the end of their life. Being concerned about how you will manage is understandable and not selfish. It’s important to take care of yourself emotionally so you feel best able to be there for your Nan.

Some people find it helps them to cope if they have an idea of what to expect at the end of a loved one’s life. If this would help you then you may want to look at these pages of our website - https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/being-there/end-of-life-preparation. For others it’s about having someone they can express how they are feeling to. It is important not to ignore or ‘bottle up’ how you are feeling at this time but it can sometimes be hard to talk to other family members as they are dealing with their own emotions. If this is the case for you it may be that you want to talk to a friend or contact us here on the Support Line If you would like to talk about things in more detail please call our Free phone Support Line on 0800 090 2309, or drop us a line on Web Chat. https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help

Best wishes 

Clare 

(Marie Curie Support Line)