Bereavement
An affliction of the heart may be physical as well as spiritual. Always it is the whole person who must be healed. For what hurts one part hurts the whole.
- Alla Bozarth Campbell
Grief is a natural reaction to the loss of someone close but can feel extremely painful and frightening. Some of the common feelings and reactions to loss are: shock and numbness; confusion and anxiety; anger and guilt; and sadness. There is, however, no right or wrong way of grieving. Your relationship with the loved one who died was different in many ways to the relationship with anyone else in your life. You had a unique relationship, and so, in the same way, you will grieve in a way that is unique to you.
At Compton Hospice, our policy is to continue to offer help to relatives after the death of a loved one. Often people tell us that even though they have family and friends to support them, they still feel the loneliness of grief. Many people find it helpful to talk things through with someone who is not directly involved. Sometimes people don't feel they need any support until perhaps around the time of the anniversary when they think they should be "getting over it by now", but find they are thrown back into quite deep sorrow and grief.
Who is eligible for this kind of support?
If your loved one had any connection with Compton Hospice Home Care or Ward Staff, or any other Macmillan Nurse service or Compton Hospice medical staff, you would be free to contact us for support.
What support is available?
You could talk to a bereavement visitor in your own home or at Compton Hospice.
or
You could join a group of people who have experienced a similar loss to yours.
How can you get the help you need?
Just phone the Hospice and ask for the Bereavement Services Co-ordinator to talk through your situation and how we might best support you with the resources we have.
Where there are children in your family who might need some extra support. If you feel your children or young people might benefit from talking with a member of our staff, then contact us. It is possible for children or young people to be seen individually or in groups where they share their thoughts and situations with others of their age groups.
We run children's groups from 5-11 years of age, which last for eight weeks, looking at what death is about and how sadness and grief feel for them. These issues are talked about while doing lots of fun activities and games.
Young people between the ages of 12 and 17 years are offered a day of appropriate activities and opportunities to talk.
Who provides the service?
We have qualified counsellors and a team of Bereavement Visitors. Bereavement Visitors are carefully selected volunteers who are trained in listening skills and issues around grief. They will not offer advice or solutions but will listen without judging, offer emotional support, and enable you to reach your own resolutions.
Who will they talk to?
Bereavement Visitors are supported and supervised by professional staff and will not talk to anybody else about you or any matters you have discussed.
Other services you might like to consider:
- Complementary Therapies
- Memorial Services at Compton Hospice
- Spiritual Support
For free brochures on the services available or support, please contact the Bereavement Services Co-ordinator
