Hospice Care Doesn’t End With Death

Endings matter, not just for the person but, perhaps even more, for the ones left behind.  — Atul Gawande

In his article, 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 urged them “to fire up a dialogue with people in their community about hospice care” and to “engage with the community on a regular basis through popular sharing sites such as Facebook and Twitter.”

I couldn’t agree more. Through such efforts, I hope more patients and their families will come to understand that when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to treatment aimed at a cure, they can turn to hospice for the comfort, care, and support they need.

But did you also know that your local hospice organization may be one of your best sources of bereavement information, comfort, and support—both before and after a death?

For example, in addition to providing compassionate care to individuals and families throughout greater Phoenix and central Arizona, Hospice of the Valley (HOV) offers a wide range of bereavement services. These include grief information, books and reading lists; individual bereavement counseling at no cost to those whose family members were HOV patients; listings of grief support groups sponsored by HOV and other organizations in the community; and referrals to appropriate resources.

Hospice of the Valley’s Bereavement Services can be reached at 602-530-6970, and additional information is available through its Grief Support webpage.

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

If you are anticipating or coping with the loss of a loved one and find yourself in need of information, comfort, or support, I encourage you to contact your local hospice and ask what bereavement services are available to you and your family.

Hospice care doesn’t end with the death of a loved one. For many families, hospice can also be an important source of support as they begin the journey through grief.

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 Newsletter. Sign up here. 

Related:

• Hospice Grief Specialists: Helping Clients Navigate Grief and Loss
• Hospice Grief Specialist Companions Individuals Through Grief
• Grief Resources, from Hospice Foundation of America
• Hospice Compare: Find A Hospice Agency
• How Do You Know When to Contact Hospice?
• Me? Need a Hospice Grief Counselor? No Way!
• When Hospice Care Fails to Meet Caregiver's Expectations

© by Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT     

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