When a loved one passes, it's a difficult, painful time for family members and friends. For family caregivers, the loved one's death may be especially hard, since they were deeply involved in attending to their loved one's needs. Professional caregivers, too, may also be significantly affected by the loss of a client they were caring for.

That's why Right at Home, a franchise that provides in-home care to seniors and adults with disabilities, has created the booklet, "Understanding Grief: A Guide for Grieving Caregivers."

The booklet is a collaboration between Right at Home and Dr. Eboni Green, founder of Caregiver Support Services and a Right at Home caregiver wellness consultant.

"Understanding Grief" dives into common myths about grief, takes a close look at the common feelings associated with grief, and provides suggestions for coping. The booklet also gives journaling tips and shares breathing exercises.

"Grief over a loved one's death can affect many people — a family or professional caregiver, for example, may feel this painful loss intensely and find the loss harder to process," said Right at Home's Chief Operating Officer Margaret Haynes. "That's why we're sharing this booklet with families as well as with our valued, professional caregivers. Our caregivers are what makes Right at Home great, and they are often deeply affected by the loss of a client they've spent hours upon hours with and have become close to."

Dr. Green, who also recorded short videos about the guide, which can be found on Right at Home's grief support web page, said that the emotions family and professional caregivers feel are often overlooked in the grieving process.

"'Understanding Grief' is a supportive resource that encourages all caregivers to get in tune with how they're feeling about the loss of a loved one and not brush those feelings aside," Dr. Green said. "Grief over time can lead to other challenges and, eventually, burnout. I find that if people don't have an opportunity to express their sadness, they internalize it and keep moving on, which could ultimately lead to a health-related or job-related issue."

Dr. Green noted that one of the biggest things on a stress index is the loss of a loved one, and family caregivers especially can feel this loss acutely.

"You've probably changed how you've lived your life," Dr. Green said of family caregivers. "You've shifted your schedule. You may not have been socially active, so you may not have as many friends as you did before. If you had service providers, like a home health aide, they're no longer coming to provide that care, so it's a much more monumental loss."

ABOUT RIGHT AT HOME:
Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companionship and personal care and assistance to seniors and adults with a disability who want to continue to live independently. Local Right at Home offices are independently owned and operated and directly employ and supervise all caregiving staff, each of whom is thoroughly screened, trained, and bonded/insured prior to entering a client's home. Right at Home's global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with more than 500 franchise locations in the U.S. and seven other countries. Right at Home is the highest-ranked senior care franchise opportunity on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 list in 2018, coming in at No. 49 overall. In 2018, Forbes Magazine ranked Right at Home the No. 1 franchise to own under $150,000. For more information on Right at Home, visit About Right at Home at http://www.rightathome.net/about-us. For information on Alzheimer's and dementia care services, visit https://www.rightathome.net/services/alzheimers-dementia-care-services. To learn more about franchising opportunities, please visit http://www.rightathomefranchise.com/.