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 for more than 30 days have experienced better quality of care at the end of […]
Using Personal Rituals in Overcoming Grief
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 particular belief system, culture, or religion, the ancient rituals of death —from Hinduism’s ritual washing […]
Dying as a Sacred Act
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 as an afterthought. Death is the one thing that happens to each one of us and […]
The Long Goodbye
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 —a wake, funeral, or Shiva begin. Feeling of loss of the future that an older adult and […]
The Myth of Grief: Do You Ever Really Move On?
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 is that the stages of grief are unique to everyone, they are felt and experienced […]
What If Your Dearly Departed Wasn’t So Dear
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 it possible to grieve for someone you have feelings of hurt and resentment toward and […]
Tips for Parents on Sending Children Back to School After a Death
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 why it’s important that a parent is a consistent resource for them after a death. […]
Four Steps to Help You Move Through Grief
There is no one way to grieve for the loss of a loved one just as there is no right or wrong way. Grieving isn’t linear and can pop up at any time and grieving for the loss of a loved one can take many different forms and different paths. According to Katherine Schafler, New […]
What People Don’t Say About Losing Someone
Each person experiences grief differently. There’s no right or wrong way, but the one thing everyone can agree on is the whirlwind of emotions that show up, from shock to denial; from sadness to anger; from hopelessness to yes, even relief. Grieving is a highly personal experience and yet, there’s no shortage of advice on […]
Lessons From a Child’s Death
After watching her son, David, known as DD, die from cancer, Sacha Langton-Gilks thought about the lessons she had learned from the experience and was inspired to write a book called Follow the Child. She wanted to help other grieving parents in their struggle of coming to terms with the death of their child. When […]