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Coping with a Sudden Death
A death is always difficult, but it can be even more so if it is sudden. Pellerin Funeral Homes can tell you more about how to best handle this kind of loss.
It is always complicated to go through the loss of a loved one, but it can be even more so when the death was sudden and unexpected. This can leave you feeling unmoored, and it can make it much more difficult for you to get the closure you need to start healing. If you are going through this now and you want to know what strategies can best help the process, there are some tips that directors of funeral homes in New Iberia, LA want you to remember.
Do not isolate yourself. It can be tempting to do this, not only to protect yourself but to ensure that you do not bother anyone with your grief, but that is not a good idea. Everyone needs a support system when they are dealing with a death and that is definitely the case if the death was an unexpected and sudden one. Even if you do not want to meet with someone in person, you should call people on the phone to have some support.
It is important to understand and accept that the grieving period will be difficult and stressful. You have to allow yourself the chance to feel what you need to feel so that you can process it. The last thing you want to do is to pretend that things are back to normal, since that can cause issues later on. Allow yourself the knowledge that the next few weeks will be difficult but that you will get through them.
If you are having trouble dealing with the loss, it is perfectly normal and acceptable to ask for it from professionals. There are grief counselors who specialize in helping people deal with the sudden death of a loved one. This can be essential. If you see that you are not getting through the loss or that the grief is getting worse, it can be time to reach out to someone who is an expert.
If loved ones offer help, accept it. You are likely going to be overwhelmed by the loss and this means that you may not want to run errands or make meals. If someone offers to do these things for you, the best thing you can do is accept. Even if their offers are vague, let them know what you need so that you can focus on getting closure.
When dealing with the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one, it can be crucial that you have people around you who are ready to be your support system. You never want to deal with this kind of loss on your own. You will also want to think about contacting a grief counselor if you are having a lot of trouble with the death and you find no respite from it. You can learn more about coping with this kind of death by reaching out to a New Iberia, LA funeral home like us. We are ready to answer any questions you may have and to help you start planning. Visit us at one of our locations or give us a call right now to learn more.
Jim is originally from Orange, Texas and attended Northwestern State University while on a golf scholarship. Jim graduated in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
After graduation, he returned to Texas, where he started a family and worked for an industrial transportation warehouse.
In 2002, Jim received a degree in Applied Sciences from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Sciences and returned to Natchitoches. He has been professionally employed as a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer since obtaining this degree.
Jim joined the staff at Blanchard-St. Denis in March 2008 and became General Manager in 2017. Jim’s level of care for the families he serves is shown everyday by his strong work ethic and his compassion for others at one of the most difficult times in their life.
He is married to Laura Flores and together they are owners of a local restaurant. In his spare time, Jim enjoys spending time with his family and occasionally playing golf with his son, Joe.
Dawn Slaughter has been a resident of Natchitoches since 1994. She moved to Natchitoches from Bossier City to attend Northwestern State University, but South Louisiana will always be “home”. Her dad spent 23 years in the Air Force, during which time she was fortunate enough to live abroad for 3 years and traveled to several countries. She met her husband Jason, at NSU. They have three beautiful daughters, Madison, Morgan, and Mikayla. In 2011, she graduated from Northwestern.
She was a stay-at-home mom for many years. Her husband has subcontracted for cemetery service for the funeral home for over 20 years. She began working at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in November of 2018 as the office administrator and received her funeral director’s license in July of 2019. Dawn takes pride in helping the families of Natchitoches during some of their most difficult times, and helping them prepare their final arrangements to lessen the grief for their families.
Dawn is very active in her church, teaching her little third graders in Sunday School and singing in the choir at Christmas time. She is a member of the Les Amies Service Organization and enjoys volunteering in the community. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and quilting. She is her daughter’s biggest fan in all of their pursuits.
Hunter was raised in Many, Louisiana, he graduated from Negreet High School in 2013. He then obtained an associate degree in applied sciences from Dallas institute of Funeral Service to practice Funeral Directing and Embalming.
In December of 2022, Hunter joined the staff of Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home. Through Hunter’s 10 years of service in the funeral industry he learned how much he loves helping families through the toughest time of their life. Hunter takes pride in treating each family he cares for like his own.
Hunter has two children, Anniston Kate and Lawson. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, hunting, watching any kind of sport, but most of all spending time his children and family.
Tommy started his career with Blanchard St. Denis working part-time. He joined our funeral home full-time in 2011 after retiring from the United States Postal Service with 37 years of service.
Tommy is a lifelong resident of Natchitoches where he graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1970. He furthered his education by receiving an associate degree from Northwestern State University.
He is married to Lisa McClellan. They have 4 children between them and are fondly known as Pepaw and Nana to 8 wonderful grandchildren. Tommy loves the game of golf and plays every chance he gets. He is also a wonderful cook and enjoys doing so for his family.
Tommy is passionate about caring for and seeing the needs of others. He takes pride in helping the people in his community during one of the most difficult times in their life.
Steve was born in Natchitoches and raised in Montgomery. When he graduated from high school, he attended NSU and studied mechanical arts.
He began his career with Gifford Hill and Company, a major construction supply company. While working full-time Steve attended the Shreveport Beauty Academy at night and received his license for makeup and hair styling. After 30 years he retired from Gifford Hill as Regional Manager for the Southwest region.
Steve began working for Blanchard St. Denis in 2012. His new endeavor with our firm gave him the opportunity to work in funeral service, a field he had always wanted to be a part of. Steve loves working side by side with the team at Blanchard St. Denis and helping families after the loss of a loved one.
Steve is married to Phyllis Kinkle Stroud, they have 3 wonderful daughters and 6 beautiful grandchildren.
Anthony lives in Natchitoches. He was born and reared on Cane River and went to school at St. Joseph Elementary and St. Matthew High School in Melrose.
He is married to Janet and they have 2 sons, 6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.
Anthony retired in 2006 from L&L Automotive which he co-owned with his brother. He then opened Anthony’s Auto, selling used cars. He also helps Janet with her catering business, Tatae’s. Anthony joined the team at Blanchard St. Denis in 2020.
Anthony Loves traveling with Janet, spending time with family and talking about cars with his sons and grandsons.
