Losing a loved one is a painful experience. The circumstances of their passing can also be traumatic and make it more challenging to address your grief.
Navigating the loss of a loved one is complicated, and many variables could affect the process. Referring to the strategies explored here can help you determine which practical steps you need to take. It can also help you recognize how your loss affects you and how you can address your grief.
Obtain a death certificate.
Several practical matters must be addressed when a person dies. You’ll need a death certificate to finalize some arrangements. In some states, you can’t proceed with cremation without a signed death certificate. Obtaining a death certificate will also allow you to close bank accounts and cancel subscriptions.
Look after plants and pets.
You may need to look after plants or pets that your loved one left behind. You could opt to hire someone to provide temporary care or find your loved one’s plants and pets a new home. You could also opt to keep the pets. This can be a way of feeling close to the person who passed.
Notify family members and friends.
Following the person’s passing, you’ll need to contact family members and friends to inform them that the person has passed away. It can be traumatic for people to learn a family member or close friend has died from watching the news. It can also be traumatic to learn someone has passed when you’re in public. Contact people who will be affected by the news and ensure they learn about the person’s death when they’re in private or have someone available to provide emotional support.
Make funeral arrangements.
The person who passed away may have made funeral arrangements. Accessing their will and essential documents can shed light on any arrangements they’ve made.
If the person who died didn’t make their arrangements, you might need to make their final arrangements. Contact a funeral home, and plan their funeral service. Funeral home staff can outline your options, including traditional burial and cremation. A professional cremation company will outline their services, which includes transporting the person’s remains and helping you apply for appropriate benefits or insurance funds. You also have the option of providing your urn to hold the remains.
You may need to make other decisions, including who will speak at the funeral, whether you’ll ask for charity donations instead of flowers, and what music to play. If you opt for a burial, you may need to purchase a burial plot and choose a headstone. It’s also common to produce an obituary for the funeral home’s website or local news sites.
Interred individuals also need to be dressed. You may choose a formal outfit, or you could select the deceased’s favorite clothing. If your loved one favored taupe wide calf boots, you could build their outfit to match those boots. You may also opt to purchase a new shirt, a pair of pants, and a pair of wide calf boots.
Recognize and address your grief.
There are several factors in motorcycle fatalities that can affect the outcome of a motorcycle accident. Helmet use can prevent motorcyclists from suffering a fatal head injury, but this may not be enough to prevent a severe injury causing death. Distracted driving, weather conditions, and alcohol use are also contributing factors that can cause fatal crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that almost 5,000 motorcycle riders in the United States were killed in fatal crashes in 2018. Although you may be aware of the risk factors affecting motorcycle riders involved in a motorcycle crash, it can be traumatic to lose a loved one in a motor vehicle crash because fatal crashes are abrupt. There’s no opportunity to prepare emotionally for the accident, and you may not have an opportunity to say goodbye to your loved one before they pass.
You could opt to join a support group and meet with others coping with a person’s death or see a counselor. Grief can cause insomnia or loss of appetite. Grief can also cause your blood pressure to increase. Grief can also cause stress, which can make you irritable and short-tempered. In addition to suffering physically and emotionally, grief symptoms can affect your relationships, work performance, and ability to function. Counseling can enable you to recognize the grief symptoms you’re experiencing and identify strategies you can use to effectively process your grief.
Address legal matters.
Contact the deceased person’s attorney and employer to determine if they have life insurance policies covering the funeral costs and other expenses. The deceased person’s attorney may also have a copy of their will on file. If the deceased didn’t have a will, you might need to hire a lawyer to help you settle their estate.
Create new traditions or a charity to honor your loved one.
It can be challenging to face special occasions without the deceased. Although you may always feel their loss, you can create new traditions that integrate the deceased into your life. You may opt to visit their favorite restaurant or engage in one of their favorite activities on their birthday. You can also opt to create a scholarship in their name as a way of honoring their memory.
Navigating the loss of a loved one can be challenging. There are several practical steps you should take, including making final arrangements and securing a death certificate. You should also address your grief and take steps to help you deal with your loss. You can also pay tribute to the deceased by creating new traditions or starting a scholarship or charity in their name.
