Sadness This Mother’s Day? VITAS Healthcare Launches Free, Nationwide Mother’s Day Grief Helpline

May 5, 2026

MIRAMAR, Fla. – As Mother’s Day approaches, a holiday often centered on celebration and reunions, many people experience heightened feelings of grief, sadness or emotional strain after the loss of a mother or mother-figure or while facing the anticipated loss of a loved one. To support individuals navigating these complex emotions, VITAS Healthcare will host a free, confidential Mother’s Day Grief Helpline on Sunday, May 10, offering nationwide support from trained bereavement specialists.

The VITAS Mother’s Day Grief Helpline provides immediate access to experienced professionals who understand how holidays can intensify grief and can offer comfort, guidance and practical coping strategies.

For nearly 50 years, VITAS has provided hospice services including grief and bereavement care to patients and families, supporting them at the end of life and through the months that follow a loss. Last year, more than 38,000 VITAS hospice patients were mothers, representing tens of thousands of children and families who may feel that loss more deeply this week. 

“Mother’s Day can be one of the most difficult days of the year for people who are grieving,” said Jason Cooper, national spiritual services lead for VITAS. “People may believe they should be past their grief by now, but love does not disappear when someone dies. Grief often shows up more strongly on days that remind us of who is missing. The Mother’s Day Grief Helpline is here to acknowledge that pain and to remind people they are not alone.”

Hospice professionals emphasize that grief does not follow a predictable timeline, and holidays and milestones may reopen emotions long after a loss. Mother’s Day, in particular, can bring renewed grief for adult children, individuals caring for aging parents, parents raising families without their own mothers and those with complex or unresolved relationships.

The VITAS Mother’s Day Grief Helpline reflects the organization’s long-standing commitment to whole-person care, addressing emotional and spiritual needs alongside physical care. Bereavement services provided by VITAS throughout the year include:

• Home visits from bereavement specialists, chaplains and trained volunteers
• Bereavement telephone support
• Grief support groups led by VITAS staff
• Memorial services and memory bears
• Educational materials and newsletters
• Referrals to community therapists and local grief resources

Individuals seeking support can call the VITAS Mother’s Day Grief Helpline at 844.218.4827 between 8 a.m.–11 p.m. ET / 5 a.m.–8 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 10. The helpline is free and open to anyone experiencing grief, whether or not they have had previous experience with hospice care.

The bereavement experts at VITAS will also host a “Healthy Coping and Socializing After Loss” virtual support session on Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. ET. Register at VITAS.com/Grief.

For more information about VITAS hospice services and year-round bereavement programs, visit VITAS.com/MothersDay.