Grief Support

Grieving usually begins soon after receiving the diagnosis of a life-limiting illness.

As part of the preparatory grief process, patients grieve for the changes that are taking place within their own body, for the loss of the ability to do things they can no longer do, and for the shortened time they have with those they love. Pain and loss are normal parts of life, and grieving is a healthy way of taking care of ourselves.

As part of anticipatory grief, loved ones grieve not only for what they see happening to the patient but also for the emptiness they are already beginning to feel.

Grief is natural. It is our human response to change or loss, and it can be painful. How the pain of grief moves through the body, mind, and soul is unique to each person. Sometimes you don’t know why you feel empty, hurt, or sad, but it helps just to say the feeling out loud and to allow yourself to feel it.

Grieving persons have the right and responsibility to do their grief work in their own way, to interpret their loss, to make choices that are right for them, and to determine the quality and direction of their lives.

Grief has a direct and sometimes adverse effect on job performance, interpersonal relationships, and personal well-being. It is a process that is not completed in a finite period of time. Because of this, our grief care is extended to family members and other significant persons both before and after the death of a hospice patient.

The goal of grief support is to facilitate a safe and healing environment for people who are adjusting to a significant loss in their lives. For grief support initiated after the death of a loved one, the goal is to enable survivors to discover, and perhaps rediscover, their own support networks and inner resources to continue integrating their loss into a meaningful future.