The National Archive of Grief Support Studies
The National Archive of Grief Support Studies(NAGSS) database provides bibliographical information and summaries of recent articles selected for their relevance to grief and bereavement service providers. The articles that are summarized are selected from scholarly, peer-reviewed journals and are intended to highlight key concepts as well as provide a brief statement of implications for service providers. Bibliographical information may be used to obtain the original article.
Parents’ and Children’s Perspectives of a Children’s Hospice Bereavement Program
Authors:
Davies, Betty
Collins, John
Steele, Rose
Cook, Karen
Distler, Vivian
Brenner, Amy
Source:
Journal of Palliative Care: 2007, 23(1), pp. 14-23.
Summary
This article discusses a study designed to evaluate bereavement support programs at a pediatric hospice in Canada. The hospice provided follow-up bereavement care to families whose child had died in the hospice, as well as bi-weekly support groups for young children (ages 6-12), teens (ages 13-17), and adults. The adults indicated that the follow-up care, which was provided for an average of 10 months post-loss, was helpful in providing support during their on-going grief. Both children and adults indicated that they found the bereavement support groups helpful. Participants stated that they benefitted from the following: being able to openly express feelings, learning that their feelings were normal, feeling that they were not alone in their grief, and learning how to cope with difficult tasks associated with the loss.
Key Words: parent, child, hospice, pediatric
Service Provider Implications
This study indicated that participants in bereavement follow-up programs and support group programs found the programs beneficial. Participants in the follow-up program found the program most helpful when staff members who had helped care for the dying child participated in the follow-up. Participants in the bereavement support groups indicated that they preferred open-ended rather than time-limited groups, with no more than 10 participants in a group.
