For families who have had loved ones enter hospice, there is a packet of the initial information that the agencies have given them. Amongst various paperwork, there will usually be a small blue booklet, called Gone from My Sight.  This…

Patients in hospice care receive support and help from caregivers such as loved ones and friends, or from professional caregivers, in a care-support facility. But what happens to the pets of those who enter hospice? What happens when their owners…

Ironically, dying can teach us a lot about living. If someone close to you receives a terminal diagnosis, one of the best things we can do for them is offer support. Another essential aspect to this diagnosis is to talk…

There is mounting evidence connecting hospice care with increased quality of life for terminal patients and reduced stress for caregivers. According to Dr. Camilla Zimmermann, a palliative care researcher at the University of Toronto, patients and families enrolled in hospice…

When someone you love dies, everything changes. Change can be difficult and there’s nothing more life-changing than losing a loved one – and the closer you were to them, the more affected you’ll feel. Though rituals aren’t tied to a…

We spend so much time planning for all sorts of activities in our lives – while we project our lives into the future by planning, hoping, and expecting average daily outcomes, there is one thing that always seems to be left…

Frailty and serious illness can involve significant losses over an extended period of time, giving rise to sadness and grief for years, emotions that are typically acknowledged only after a loved one’s death, when formal rituals recognizing a person’s passing…

Death means different things to different people. It’s completely normal to wonder how to get over something as deeply emotional as the loss of a loved one, or even the loss of a pet. What’s important to keep in mind…

Experiencing the death of a family member can be difficult even for the most loving of relationships, so how do you cope with grief and the death of someone when your memories and negative experiences far outweigh the good? Is…

Experiencing the loss of a loved one can be difficult at any age but it can be especially hard when the loss is experienced by a child. Unlike adults, children don’t have many resources to help them —  so that’s…