Bereavement Support
Supporting families and loved ones through their grief.
Finding a New Way to Live
Overcoming grief is not about forgetting, but remembering. It is not about moving on, but finding a new way to live. Masonic Village Hospice offers bereavement support through individual and group sessions, newsletters, personal phone calls and support packets with information on the personal grief journey. Loved ones receive support and are given the contact information for a bereavement coordinator who is there to help families heal after loss and understands grieving isn’t the same for everyone.
Grief and What to Expect
Grief is the combination of all of our reactions to a loss that has occurred in our lives. It affects our entire world: our emotions, our health, our social life, the way we think and our spirituality. Grief is a natural reaction to loss and is experienced differently by everyone. It can be long or short, intense or mild. It can present itself in the following ways:
- Initial shock, numbness and possible denial
- Sadness, depression, tearfulness and crying
- Weight loss
- Inability to sleep
- Sense of exhaustion and lack of energy
- Anxiety and nervousness
- Restlessness and inability to concentrate
- Feelings of anger, guilt and emotional imbalance
- Feelings of disorganization
Tips on Healing Through Your Grief
- Accept the reality of the loss.
- Acknowledge your grief is real.
- Embrace your grief and your pain rather than trying to hide or deny it.
- Honor your memories.
- Work slowly at creating a new sense of who you are.
- Accept the support of family and friends.
- Understand that healing takes time and effort.
- Educate yourself on grief and steps to overcome it.
- Talk to a friend whom you can trust to listen to, understand and respect your feelings and emotions. Make sure this friend won’t try to give you advice on how to feel, but rather validate your own way of grieving.
- Take time for self-care.
Grief can be sneaky and powerful. It does not always manifest like you think. You may also be overwhelmed with grief when you’re not expecting it. The following are some stress relievers to consider during and after you and your loved one’s hospice journey:
- Walk/run
- Read
- Listen to music
- Practice yoga, stretching, visualization or meditating
- Attend worship
- Get a massage
- Sing
- Use aromatherapy
- Make a favorite recipe
- Journal
- Write poetry
- Clean up clutter
- Talk to others
- Get outdoors
- Paint or draw
- Attend a support group
- Make something
Our Grief Booklet and Grief Activity Booklet are designed to help hospice family members understand their grief journey and navigate through life after loss. In addition, we offer a Children’s Grief Booklet to aid you in helping a child through their grief.