Monday, January 31, 2011

CaringBridge: Creating a Network of Support Online

[Reviewed and updated June 22, 2021]

Several times in the last few weeks I've had occasion to use a wonderful online service that, if you're not aware of it already, I'd like to share with all of you.

CaringBridge is an innovative, non-profit organization that provides free Web sites to connect people experiencing a significant health challenge to family and friends, making each health journey easier. Fulfilling its mission "to amplify the love, hope and compassion in the world, making each health journey easier," CaringBridge websites offer a personal and private space to communicate and show support, saving time and emotional energy when health matters most.

How CaringBridge Works
Each site is unique, easy to create and simple to use.  Authors add health updates and photos to share their story, while visitors leave messages in the guestbook, creating a network of support for the patient.

Online Community of Care

A personal CaringBridge website brings family and friends together online, surrounding a patient and their caregivers with the love, hope and compassion they need during a difficult time. Since 1997, more than half a million CaringBridge websites have been created. Your free CaringBridge website has all the tools you need to keep your family and friends updated during a difficult time.

If you don't have the energy, the time or the skills to create a CaringBridge site for your care recipient yourself, this may be an ideal "assignment" for that computer-savvy family member or friend who's offered to help. Visit the How It Works page to learn how to get started. 



Your feedback is welcome! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question, or share a tip, a related article or a resource of your own in the Comments section below.
If you’d like Grief Healing Blog updates delivered right to your inbox, you’re cordially invited to subscribe to our weekly Grief Healing NewsletterSign up here.


Related:
  © by Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT, BC-TMH

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Caregiving and Hospice, January 23 - January 29

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:
  • Physician-author launches site to promote hospice care with video support for caregiving,

Understanding and Managing Grief, January 23 - January 29

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Coping with Pet Loss, January 23 - January 29

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:
  • How to care for the dying and healthy grief are your companion animal's last gifts to you, via @

Monday, January 24, 2011

Look to Your Hospice for Grief Support

[Reviewed and updated February 22, 2024]

In his article entitled Demystifying Hospice Care, medical news and information reporter William Stroh argued that hospice organizations need to do a better job of informing the public about the services they provide.  He urges them "to fire up a dialogue with people in their community about hospice care" and "engage with the community on a regular basis through popular sharing sites such as Facebook and Twitter."

I couldn't agree more, and I would hope that through such efforts, more patients and their families come to understand that when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to treatment aimed at cure, they can turn to hospice to provide the comfort, care and support they need ~ but did you also know that your local hospice organization may be one of your best sources for bereavement information, comfort and support, both before and after a death?

As an example, in addition to the compassionate care it provides to the individuals and families it serves in greater Phoenix and in central Arizona, Hospice of the Valley (HOV) also offers a vast array of Bereavement Services, including grief information, books and reading lists; individual bereavement counseling at no cost to those whose family members were patients of Hospice of the Valley; listings of grief support groups sponsored by HOV, as well as by others in the community; and referral to appropriate resources.  Contact Hospice of the Valley's Bereavement Services, 602.530.6970 or visit HOV's Grief Support Web page for further information.

In this touching video, a daughter describes how the bereavement support she obtained from Hospice of the Valley helped her cope with the death of her mother:



If you're anticipating or coping with the loss of a loved one and feeling a need for information, comfort and support, I encourage you to look to your local hospice to learn what bereavement services are available to you and your family.

Your feedback is welcome! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question, or share a tip, a related article or a resource of your own in the Comments section below. If you’d like Grief Healing Blog updates delivered right to your inbox, you’re cordially invited to subscribe to our weekly Grief Healing NewsletterSign up here

Related:

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Caregiving and Hospice, January 16 - January 22

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Understanding and Managing Grief, January 16 - January 22

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:
  • Finding the Zing In Your Life After the Death of a Child: Free Webinar from Open to Hope,  

Coping with Pet Loss, January 16 - January 22

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Monday, January 17, 2011

Finding the Zing In Your Life After the Death of a Child: Free Webinar from Open to Hope

This announcement comes to us from Neil Chethik, Executive Editor of the Open to Hope Web site:

You are invited to join Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley on Monday, January 24, 2011 as they interview Ron Villano, M.S., LMHC, ASAC on Finding the Zing in Your Life after the Death of a Child. Ron Villano is the leading expert of change. As a bereaved father, he speaks from the heart.  As a licensed psychotherapist, he counsels others on working through difficult times. As a nationally-recognized speaker and author, Ron appears before sold-out audiences across the country.  His fun, captivating and approachable style creates the powerful, life-changing moments you have been looking for. 

This free webinar takes place on Monday, January 24, 2011 from 5  to 6 pm Pacific Time, 7 to 8 pm Mountain Time, and 8 to 9 pm Eastern Time.

Afer registering you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees require Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003
Macintosh®-based attendees require Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer
 
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at
http://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/469505270

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Caregiving and Hospice, January 9 - January 15

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Understanding and Managing Grief, January 9 - January 15

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Coping with Pet Loss, January 9 - January 15

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Monday, January 10, 2011

Tips for Helping Children and Adolescents in Grief

As an adult or child, experiencing grief means to “feel,” not just to “understand.” Anyone old enough to love is old enough to grieve.  ~ Alan D. Wolfelt

Children and adolescents grieve just as deeply as adults, but depending on their cognitive and emotional development, they will experience and express their grief differently from the grown-ups around them.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Understanding and Managing Grief, January 2 - January 8

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Caregiving and Hospice, January 2 - January 8

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Coping with Pet Loss, January 2 - January 8

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Caregiving and Hospice, December 26 - January 1

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Understanding and Managing Grief, December 26 - January 1

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Coping with Pet Loss, December 26 - January 1

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week: