Coping with Pet Loss, August 25 - August 31, 2013

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

Dear Otis and The Grief Goes On, http://wp.me/p2JmrV-2U « Good Grief Sebastian!

Pet Loss Memorial Day is Sunday September 8: Planning a Memorial Event for Your Pet, http://j.mp/19QtqVB « Veterinary Wisdom Professionals

After We Say Good-Bye ~ Keeping your pets' memories alive, http://j.mp/16RfUwh « Cesar's Way

Financial Assistance for Veterinary Care, http://j.mp/15cuF3d « Speaking for Spot

Lovely! Funeral for a child's goldfish, http://bit.ly/1cQBk4Y « Spring Mountain Living

Voices of Experience: Just Let Me Be Sad

Source

Since she lost her four year old daughter in a drowning accident in 2009, bereaved mom Maria Kubitz has worked hard to find ways to learn from the pain and maintain a loving, healthy environment for her four other children. She volunteers at a local chapter of The Compassionate Friends, and in 2012, Maria created Alive in Memory, a supportive place where families can share precious stories of the loved ones they’ve lost. Here she writes of society's pressures to suppress and bury the pain of grief, and how she's learned to carry it instead.

Caregiving and Hospice, August 18 - August 24, 2013

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

Making Sense of #Alzheimers: 9 Books For Kids, Dementia Education, http://j.mp/17csfxj « AARP

Put Down the Phone and Get Connected, http://j.mp/1dcD6hR « Spirit Scraps

Hospice is Still Special, by Dr. Kristina Newport, bit.ly/16nzm3p « Pallimed

On Wounded Healers, byVelleda C. Ceccoli, PhD, http://j.mp/18Nza18 « Psychology Tomorrow Magazine

The Caregiver's Challenge of Intimacy, http://j.mp/18NchLg « Huffington Post

Understanding and Managing Grief, August 18 - August 24, 2013

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

Excellent! How long does grief last? http://j.mp/156myhD « Grief Helps

Beyond Surviving: after the suicide of a loved one, http://j.mp/1f9rEiE « SevenPonds Blog

Just outstanding: The Taboo Against Trauma, http://j.mp/19Mf1Nt « Maria Shriver

On a better understanding of depression and suicide, http://j.mp/16LUMgM « Widow's Voice

Suggestions for Coping with Sorrow in Grief, http://j.mp/15337u9 « Grief Healing Blog

Coping with Pet Loss, August 18 - August 24, 2013

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

End-of-Life Planning: Remember Your Pets, http://j.mp/15dpzRk « The Oncology Nurse Community

Loving Care or Animal Abuse? http://j.mp/1dpPdpm  « Psychology Today

Helping a dying pet end life in a kind and gentle way,  http://j.mp/19tJUTx  «  Pet Care

Coping with Sorrow in Grief

Photo credit: El Hermano Pila

[Reviewed and updated January 24, 2023]

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than 10,000 tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.  ~ Washington Irving

Although feelings of hopelessness, anguish and despair are normal following any major loss, the intensity and duration of those feelings will vary from one person to the next, as the reality of the loss becomes more apparent in daily life. You may find that the sorrow of grief saps your energy, making even simple tasks like getting out of bed in the morning, tending to personal grooming, fixing a meal or going somewhere with friends seem overwhelming and exhausting. You may feel negative and critical toward everything and everyone, including yourself. Even in the company of others you may still feel lonely, and may prefer to avoid gatherings of any size.

Caregiving and Hospice, August 11 - August 17, 2013

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

Journey Forward Introduces "My Care Plan" Tool to Help Cancer Survivors Begin Their Survivorship Care Plan, http://j.mp/16jpo6N « Oncology Nursing Society

Patients may have to push to get registered with the palliative care program, http://j.mp/16S9ajU « Life & Death Matters

A Philosophy of Palliative Care Nursing – Part 1, http://j.mp/1dgiYJg « FULLHALFGLASS

Emily’s Top 5: Selected articles on Palliative in Practice this week, http://j.mp/14nQeHG « Palliative in Practice

Individualized medical decision-making: still harder than it should be http://j.mp/14QcWhK « GeriTech

Understanding and Managing Grief, August 11 - August 17, 2013

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

Truly beautiful: Did I Get Enough Love? http://j.mp/19A4lkU « Elaine Mansfiel

This I Believe: Always Go to the Funeral, http://j.mp/12bk4BE « NPR

The Grief of an Overdose Death: Part 1, http://j.mp/14Lykog « What's Your Grief

The Grief of an Overdose Death: Part 2, http://j.mp/1abFcwn « What's Your Grief

10 Ways to Well-Being After Loss, http://j.mp/19wjnsb « Navigating Grief

Coping with Pet Loss, August 11 - August 17, 2013

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

Important! Orphaned Pets, http://j.mp/1cSMPJl « Psychology Today

Including Children in Rituals of Grief and Mourning: Special Situations

Source

[Reviewed and updated July 3, 2021]

Previously we've discussed how to explain to your children that a loved one has died, and offered some preparation tips on what to expect at a funeral or memorial service. Of course things don't always go smoothly at a time like this, and when certain situations arise, you may appreciate some additional guidance.

What if your child is reluctant or unwilling to go with you?
It’s been said that families who love together grieve together. Encourage your children to go to the funeral or memorial service. Explain that you are a family, and this is an important family event. Let them know that you expect them to go with you. Say that it is important to you to have them there with you. Ask them to attend for your sake.

Caregiving and Hospice, August 4 - August 10, 2013

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

Understanding Pain for Improved Quality of Life, a new tip sheet available from Caring Connections, http://j.mp/11SffNt  « NHPCO

Top 10 Things Palliative Care Clinicians Wished Everyone Knew About Palliative Care, http://j.mp/16zSk9r « Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Lovely! Resting in peace for hospice caregivers and patients, http://j.mp/19SdODC « Caring with Confidence

A New Approach to Finding Help For Family Caregivers, http://j.mp/19gHknc « Caregiving Cafe Blog

Tips for Picking a Healthcare Power of Attorney to Protect End of Life Wishes, http://j.mp/1bbM4aN « Senior Care Corner

Understanding and Managing Grief, August 4 - August 10, 2013

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

Nationwide Grief Support Groups, Resources and Information, http://j.mp/14Cqrl8 « About.com Death & Dying

Excellent Primer on Grief Intelligence, http://j.mp/19gOmIA « Ashley Davis Bush, LCSW

What Hope Is -- and How You Hang On to It, http://j.mp/1987gh2 « Stunned By Grief

Here are 7 tips for helping a loved one grieve, with help from experts, http://ow.ly/nJbT5 « US News & World Report Health

7 tips for cooking for the bereaved, http://j.mp/187pY7w « Cooker and A Looker

Coping with Pet Loss, August 4 - August 10, 2013

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

Palliative Treatment Options for Osteosarcoma Cancer in Dogs, http://j.mp/13jCm1 « petMD

When Children Attend A Funeral: Some Preparation Tips

[Reviewed and updated October 27, 2022]

At what age should children attend a funeral? 
When deciding whether your child should attend a funeral or memorial service, age is not the most important consideration. Your child is part of the family, and as grief expert Dr. Alan Wolfelt wisely observes, children who are old enough to love are old enough to grieve.

No child is too young to attend a funeral, provided that the child is prepared for what will happen and what he or she will see at the funeral home, and is lovingly guided through the process. Shutting children out makes them feel alone and conveys the idea that death and grief are too horrible to be faced. Children need to learn that special, loved people do die—but also that there will always be somebody there to take care of them.

Caregiving and Hospice, July 28 - August 3, 2013

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

How to speak the same language: A case study on “translating” end-of-life conversations, http://j.mp/11zaE2t « It's OK to Die

On Tweeting the End of Life, http://j.mp/17md8QE « HFA's Hospice and Caregiving Blog

Tips to Communicate End of Life Wishes to Adult Children, http://j.mp/11fnsI5 «
AARP Blog

Hospice of the Valley's AZ Palliative Home Care now has its own website with referral app, http://j.mp/19y9Gsc « Arizona Palliative Home Care

POLST: A new approach to end-of-life directives, http://j.mp/17U9u2x « Herald-Tribune

Understanding and Managing Grief, July 28 - August 3, 2013

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

Grieving a parent and healing our inner wounds, http://j.mp/19AMdqb « Caring with Confidence

Scott Simon: Goodbyes and Grief in Real Time,  http://j.mp/16IRp6p « New York Times

10 Ways to Honor a Deceased Coworker, http://j.mp/16aoZ56 « About.com Death & Dying

Yes! Kudos to Scott Simon for His Tweets, http://j.mp/15wsJ1J « The Family Plot Blog

Talking about death with young children: lessons from Sesame Street, http://j.mp/14iQoWO « The GroundSwell Project

Coping with Pet Loss, July 28 - August 3, 2013

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

What Remains, http://j.mp/1bOlyYG « Obit Magazine

After the Loss, Pet Owners Tell their Pet's Story, http://j.mp/14eQe2A  « VetzInsight

Teresa Wagner on Animal Communication--What is It and How Does it Work? http://j.mp/yZT79v « Animals in Our Hearts