How A Retirement Community Can Help When You Lose A Spouse

Saying goodbye to your spouse after years together is painful, no matter the circumstances.  Living in a Senior Community can help you grieve and heal.

Benefits of Community Living when you Lose a Spouse

senior woman watering flowers

Losing your spouse is one of life’s most difficult events. But the rhythms and relationships you experience in a Senior Living community, such as Eddy Senior Living help you navigate your loss and pain, and find hope for the future.

Laura, one of our residents at Glen Eddy shared, “When my husband died, the support and compassion I received during his illness and after his death from the staff and residents is something I will never forget. The experience reinforced to me that the Glen Eddy is a supportive community where residents care about each other in a respective manner. Thank you Glen Eddy – it’s great to call you “Home”! ” Laura V.

Benefits of Community Rhythms

When you’re struggling with grief, often depression and loneliness set in. If you live in a Senior Living Community, the daily rhythms of life keep you grounded and active. Eddy Senior Living offers a Wellness Program that targets physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness.  Residents have full access to the fitness center, as well as classes in yoga, water aerobics, and dancing, among others.

Eddy Senior Living also provides nutritional classes, cooking demonstrations, and off-site excursions. If you live in an Independent Living Community, along with your neighbors, you can regularly take advantage of all the activities and events in the Albany/Capital region area.

Group excursions create relationships and provide memorable experiences. You won’t be grieving alone, or facing endless days without plans, in a Senior Community. Instead, an active calendar keeps you motivated and looking forward to upcoming adventures.

Benefits of Community Relationships

One of the best activities psychologists recommend for coping with grief is to talk about your feelings with others. When you live in a Senior Living Community, you share life with friends and neighbors who  provide companionship and listening while you work through your loss.

Remembering your spouse aloud with friends and neighbors will help you process through your grief, instead of avoiding it or isolating yourself from other relationships. Friends and neighbors in your Senior Living Community can also help you celebrate your spouse on meaningful days such as birthdays and anniversaries. They check up on you regularly, making sure you are connecting with others over meals and games, and engaging in activities that energize you.

Benefits of Senior Community Resources

Eddy Senior Living offers round-the-clock access to healthcare and mental health support. Trained professionals check in on you regularly, intervening if they see negative changes in your physical or mental health.

Additionally, when you live in a Senior Community, staff handle the daily home and lawn maintenance that can become unmanageable when you grieve. You don’t need to shovel snow, clean, cook, or call the dryer repairman. Eddy Senior Living Staff makes sure your living space is safe, comfortable and a shelter while you heal.

senior women embracingMoving Forward when you Lose a Spouse

“Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.”  Anne Roiphe

No two people grieve the same, and you can’t anticipate how the loss of your spouse will affect you before it happens. Often, grief leads to changes and needs that Older Adults aren’t expecting.

When you live in a Senior Living Community, such as Eddy Senior Living, your established rhythms and relationships benefit you through your grief journey, no matter its shape.  When your daily needs are handled with top-notch care, you have the space to grieve and begin to heal in your own way, surrounded by friends.