Hospice care does not end with the patient's death. Saint Francis Hospice offers a year-long bereavement program to help with this time of transition. There is no charge for this program. Services include individual grief counseling, grief support for adults and children, a library of grief-related books and videotapes, and monthly mailings of a support newsletter for adults and children.

 

Some find that having a hospice volunteer to talk with is helpful. Also offered are an annual Service of Remembrance and a program to present ways for survivors to cope effectively with seasonal holidays. Even though grief is a normal response to loss, seeking the support of those who understand the painful complexity of this adjustment period can often be encouraging. The grief support groups are open to the community even when hospice was not involved.

People in our bereavement program have found these books helpful:

For Early Grief:
"Good Grief," by Granger Westberg
"Don't Take My Grief Away," by Doug Manning

After a Spouse Dies:
"A Grief Observed," by C.S. Lewis
"Widowed," by Joyce Brothers

After a Parent Dies:
"When Parents Die," by Edward Myers
"How to Survive the Loss of a Parent," by Lois Akner

For a Grieving Child:
"When Dinosaurs Die," by Laurie Brown and Marc Brown
"Lifetimes," by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen

For a Grieving Teen:
"The Grieving Teen," by Helen Fitzgerald
"Healing Your Grieving Heart," by Alan Wolfelt
"When Bad Things Happen to Good People," by Harold Kushner
"Safe Passage," by Molly Furniaa

Please call the Saint Francis Hospice office at 918-494-6465 for more information regarding support groups for adults and children.