Bereavement Support

The nursing team at Les Bourgs Hospice are here to support you after your loved one has died.

We have a bereavement support team developed by Hospice Nurses. They are trained bereavement support workers for both adults and children. They update their skills by regularly attending courses to help adults and children navigate their way through grief and loss.

Adjusting to your life now, without the person who has died is known as grieving. This is our natural response to loss. Nothing can really prepare you for the death of someone close, even if you have expected it is going to happen for some time. Losing some one we love for many of us is a profoundly life-altering experience.

When someone we love dies, it can affect us emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.

Everybody’s loss is personal and individual to them and the way we all grieve is different. This can be challenging within a family, going through different emotions at different times. There is no right or wrong way to grieve.

Different emotions you may feel may include; sadness, disbelief, shock, confusion and loneliness. You may feel anger, guilt and regret, but also maybe a sense of relief that the person is at peace now and the challenging demands of caring all over. It is ok and normal to feel like this.

Grief can affect you physically, as you may not be able to focus or concentrate and be forgetful at times. Your sleep pattern may be affected and your appetite may have changed. Some people can feel anxious, overwhelmed, and fatigued. It is normal to feel like this.

Sometimes the grief you feel can be overwhelming. Some people cannot stop thinking about what happened and some individuals spend all day and night crying. Some people cannot cry even if they want to. Some people feel they cannot speak about their loved one; however, some may feel they need to speak about them all the time. We are all individual and these examples are all normal responses to loss and can vary day to day.

There may be times when you feel life is feeling easier and you are able to try to move forward. Then you may have a trigger…such as hearing a song on the radio or someone may say something to you that sparks an emotion. You may feel like these events make you feel you have stepped backwards in your journey. Sometimes people describe this as an emotional rollercoaster due to this mixture of emotions and feelings coming and going, sometimes when we least expect it. Grief is not linear.

“Grief is like the ocean; it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.”
Vicki Harrison

Give yourself time to grieve and be compassionate to yourself as well as to others. Most importantly try not to compare your grief to others. Grief is a personal journey and you are adjusting to your world without the person you love. Grieving is about remembering your loved one, not forgetting them. You can still move on and grieve their loss, with change and growth in your life. You can have a future and feel the warmth of love, happiness and laughter again.

When your loved one has died they are still important in your life, and finding a way to keep a connection to them even though they are not physically here can be helpful. For example; talking about them if you feel able to, lighting a candle, looking at photos, or taking part in something they enjoyed may be comforting.

Life will be changed forever but you may find an inner strength you never realised you had. Go with your rhythm at this stage in your life. Focus on your own self care and well being. Show yourself kindness and compassion.

Many people find their own way through their grief with support from family and friends. However, you may feel it would help you to have some guidance and support from our nursing team at the hospice. This may be days, weeks, months or years after your loss. We are here to listen to your story with no judgement in a calming and nurturing confidential environment.

We provide Bereavement Support in the format of one to one sessions with a Bereavement Support Nurse or group sessions that you can attend if you wish to. One to one and group sessions are free of charge.

Our one to one sessions are for one hour and our group support consists of six, 1 hour 30 minute sessions. People attend these group sessions in a block over 3 weeks. We are holistic in our approach to the support we provide, and each session is individually tailored to our client’s needs.

If you would like to access this service, please email the team at bereavementsupport@lesbourgs.com

Apache Grief Blessing

May the sun bring you new energy every day,
bringing light into the darkness of your soul.
May the moon softly restore you by night,
bathing you in the glow of restful sleep and peaceful dreams.
May the rain wash away your worries,
and cleanse the hurt that sits in your heart.
May the breeze blow new strength into your being,
and may you believe in the courage of yourself.
May you walk gently through the world,
keeping your loved one with you always.
Knowing you are never parted in the beating of your heart.
Author Unknown

The Les Bourgs Hospice Bereavement Support Nurses

 

Please click here for books to help support Children and Teenagers with bereavement 

Please click for websites to help support Children and Teenagers with bereavement

Please click here for books to help support Adults with bereavement

 

< Back to Our Services