Grief And Support

Grief & Support

Basic Needs of the Bereaved

  1. Companionship and Privacy – a balance between the two. They need time to reflect on their feelings as well as time to share their feelings.
  2. Opportunity for the expression of grief without embarrassment. A comfortable environment is needed where the bereaved can open up and express their feelings.
  3. Recognition of the many symptoms that may occur as a result of intense grieving. These symptoms often resemble physical changes that occur during or after a serious illness and may include…
    • loss of sleep
    • loss of appetite
    • loss of strength
    • loss of motivation
    • inconsistencies in behavior
  4. Support and assistance in becoming socially reactivated. They need someone upon whom they can depend and trust to help them in a variety of social situations.
  5. A firm focus placed on the crisis/loss without being made to feel that they have a physical or mental illness.
  6. Special assistance regarding business affairs and legal matters. They need someone to help them think clearly to settle important issues and plan for the future.
  7. Above all, they need the opportunity to re-tell their experiences and loss. An active listener can dramatically facilitate the healing process. Be patient, and non-judgmental. Help them discover their own conclusions to the issues they need to resolve.

    Hospice Foundation of America Grief is a reaction to loss. Our reactions are unique and individual; none of us experiences grief exactly the same way.
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    The GriefWatch.com site was created to provide you with bereavement resources, memorial products and links that can help you through your personal loss. It also serves as an excellent educational tool for all who travel down the road of grief.

    The AARP.org provides information on how to handle to death of a loved one. They cover many topics from legal issues to dealing with personal grief.

    Sesame Street for Kids…..The death of a loved one brings enormous challenges. There is nothing easy about explaining death to children, particularly the death of a family member.

    Expressing Condolences….Learn about expressing condolences, mourning, grieving, and the coping process.

    Center for Loss and Life Transition
    A private organization dedicated to furthering our understanding of and compassion for the complex set of emotions we call grief. Dedicated to helping both the bereaved, by walking with them in their unique life journeys, and bereavement caregivers, by serving as their educational liaison and professional forum.

    Crisis, Grief and Healing
    A place where men and women can discuss, chat or browse to understand the many different paths to heal strong emotions. Resources on the site include excerpts from author Tom Golden’s books on healing from loss.

    GriefNet
    GriefNet is an Internet community of persons dealing with grief, death, and major loss. They have many email support groups. Their integrated approach to online grief support provides help to people working through loss and grief issues of all kinds.

    Willowgreen
    A leading provider of information and inspiration in the areas of illness and dying, loss and grief, healthy caregiving, life transition, and spirituality.

    Grief and Loss
    Grief support information and resources from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

    Growth House
    An international gateway to resources for life-threatening illness and end of life issues. Hypertext topic pages link to sites around the world. Links to hospice and home care, bereavement, death with dignity, AIDS, and related topics in life-threatening illness.

    National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
    Committed to improving end of life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones.

    Articles on Grief and Loss

    The Five Stages of GriefSurviving the Death of a Sibling

    How To Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies

    Grief: Discovering Something Greater than the Answer to ‘Why?’

    Light Through the Crack: Life After Loss

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