Resources for Caregivers - Caregiver Grief and Loss

Coping with Grief and Loss as a Caregiver

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Caregiver Support Program (CSP) is committed to ensuring Veteran caregivers are supported in every step of their caregiver journey. As a caregiver, you might experience feelings of grief, such as sadness or loneliness, even before a loved one passes away. This is called anticipatory grief and can bring on a wide range of emotions.

It’s normal to feel sadness, frustration, or even anger, but you are not alone. The first step to healing is recognizing these feelings and finding ways to cope.  

Ways to Cope with Anticipatory Grief: 

• • Take Care of Yourself: Make time for activities that bring you joy, help you relax, and give you rest. Caregiver Health and Wellbeing Coaching, empowers caregivers by helping them focus on their own health and wellbeing.    
  • Lean on Friends and Family: Reach out to loved ones for emotional support and practical help. The Caregiver Support Program (CSP) also encourages caregivers to take breaks and rest when needed through our respite care offerings. 
  • Find Support: Connect with other caregivers who understand what you're going through. Programs like Caregiver Peer Support Mentoring and Building Better Caregivers can help. 
  • Talk to a CSP staff member: CSP offers self-care courses for caregivers on topics like grief, resilience, and self-care. There's also a 6-week group called Thriving Through Change and Loss that helps caregivers cope with grief and find tools to move forward.
  • Express Your Feelings: Journaling or art journaling can help you process emotions. Ask about CSP’s Art Journaling initiative to learn more.  
  • Experiencing Grief or Loss - https://www.va.gov/REACH/challenge/experiencing-grief-or-loss/

Services and Support:

Plan Ahead: Help the Veteran you care for create or update their advance care plan by visiting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA’s) Advance Care Planning & Making Decisions page. There you can find all the forms and guidance.

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