[Skip to Content]

Helping caregivers cope with grief

Susan BachorikWhen a caregiver grieves over the loss of the person they've cared for, in some cases for several years, "they have to go through this at their own pace," advises bereavement counselor Susan Bachorik, left, from Hospice of Central New York. She also cautions those who want to help not to say, "I know exactly how you feel." Bachorik says those who are grieving need three important people in their lives: a listener, a doer and a distracter. The listener listens without judgment. The doer helps the person to complete any of a variety of tasks. And the distracter takes the person out of their grief, if only temporarily. "You can't grieve 24 hours a day," Bachorik says.

Top