Grief & Grieving: Support After a Death

VITAS Provides Bereavement Support

Grief is a normal reaction to losing someone you love. Each person grieves differently and there is no timeline for how long it takes before the hurt of loss lessens. Hospice understands this; we know that grieving can begin before the actual death and last longer than a few weeks or months.

VITAS offers consistent and continuing grief and bereavement support to families, friends and staff while a patient is under our care and for up to 13 months following a death. Even after that time, we are always available to listen and help you work through your grief. 

VITAS grief and bereavement services include:

• Home visits from bereavement specialists, chaplains and volunteers
• Bereavement telephone support
• Bereavement support groups led by VITAS Staff
• Memorial services
• Quarterly bereavement letters of support, a newsletter and educational materials
• Community resource referrals to grief therapists, community support groups, etc.

The articles listed below may also help you through this difficult time.

Helping Children Cope

• Children’s Developmental Stages: Concepts of Death and Responses to Grief
• Guidelines for Helping Grieving Children
• Guidelines for Children Attending Funerals and Memorial Services
• Helping Children Cope with Public Tragedies
• What To Say When a Child Asks about Death

Defining Loss

• Alzheimer's Disease and the Five Stages of Grief
• Anticipatory Grief
• Levels of Loss
• Typical Myths About Grief and Mourning

Coping with Loss

• 27 Ways to Heal When Dealing with a Loss
• How to Rebuild Self-Esteem After Losing a Loved One
• Learning to Accept the Unacceptable
• Practical Tasks Following the Death of a Loved One
• What Should I Expect as I Grieve

Recognizing Anxiety & Depression

• Coping with Anxiety While Grieving
• Don't Let Grief Become Depression
• Feelings and Reactions to a Significant Loss
• Severe Depression After a Significant Loss

Losing a Family Member

• Losing a Sibling
• Mourning the Death of a Parent
• Mourning and Missing Our Mothers
• Ways to Honor a Deceased Loved One

Helping the Grieving

• Friends Don't Let Friends Grieve Alone
• Support System: Just a Call Away
• Techniques Used to Assist the Bereaved 
• What to Say When You Don't Know What to Say

Holiday Grief

• Coping with Grief During the Holidays
• Remembering Loved Ones on Holidays, Anniversaries and Special Days
• Facing the New Year When You Are Bereaved
• Handling Holidays and Special Anniversaries with Grieving Children

Get more Grief and Bereavement articles in VITAS Resources