By Danny L. Ross, M.Ed., CAGCS, CSC, LPC-S, BC-TMH, NCC | Updated August 11, 2026 You are grieving them while they are still in the room. You may still hear their voice, hold their hand, manage their medication, or sit beside them at dinner. At the same time, you can see what illness is changing. You are mourning pieces of ordinary life before the death has happened. That ache has a name: anticipatory grief. Quick answer: Anticipatory grief is grief that occurs before an expe