Grief is a sense of deep sorrow experienced after a significant loss. The death of a spouse or a
close family member is among the five most significant stressful life changes causing grief. With
dementia, spouses and other caregivers often start experiencing grief years even while their loved
one are still with them.
Caregiver grief in dementia is caused by the so-called “ambiguous” loss. The loss is ambiguous
because a loved one with dementia is still physically present but continuously struggles both
cognitively and psychologically. The stress level produced by ambiguous loss is equal to or even
greater than the grief following the person’s loss. Various factors contribute to the experience of
ambiguous loss. Some of the factors include the severity of the dementia symptoms, the burdens
and losses associated with caregiving, uncertainty about the future, the caregivers’ psychological
and physical health, and the ability of the family unit to cope with the changes associated with
dementia.
The problem with ambiguous loss is that the caregivers often do not even know that they are
going through a grieving process. Moreover, the grieving process due to ambiguous loss is often
not recognized or supported in society, preventing caregivers from sharing their grief with others.
As a result, they have difficulty adjusting to their loss.
At NRS|LS, we offer Medical Adjustment Counseling ® (MAC) for patients with dementia and their
caregivers to help with the biopsychosocial changes of the person with dementia and his/her family members.
If you have any questions, or are in need of MAC, please call our office for more information.
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Eleonora Gallagher, Psy.D.
Neuropsychology Post-Doctoral Fellow
NJ Permit: TP# 213-079