Managing ambiguous loss in dementia and terminal illness

Grieving ambiguous loss is difficult because individuals must let go while finding ways to remain connected. In cases of ambiguous loss, nurses can play an important role in helping bereaved families through empathetic "presencing" and objective coaching. Coaching roles include helping family members grieve openly by sharing perceptions, and problem solve together to manage individual, caregiving and broader family issues. Nurses provide hope that a disease can be managed by making the unfamiliar familiar.