Bereavement Services are unique to hospice care; they are not provided anywhere else within the health care delivery system. Care of the family is continued after the death of the patient. Hospice encourages the expression of grief and recognizes cultural variables in bereavement.

The hospice bereavement program offers bereavement follow-up to its families for 13 months following a death. Services may include phone contacts or visits, mailings, volunteer follow-up, short- term counseling and community referrals. Additionally, our grief support groups and workshops for adults, adolescents and children are open to the community at no charge.

The Road To Healing Grief

Someone you love has died: a parent, partner, child, sibling or friend. The pain, confusion and numbness you feel due to the loss is grief. Grief can be a very overwhelming, intense, and prolonged process that family and friends may not understand. Professional help by individuals trained in grief support is available from the Joliet Area Community Hospice.

What direction does grief take?

• Grief is a normal reaction to loss.

• No two people experience or cope with grief in the same manner.

• Children are often the forgotten grievers and grieve differently from adults. They grieve in short spurts and return to play. They grieve with each new developmental stage and life event.

• Grief takes time. There is no set timetable for grief.

• Grief affects our ability to think, concentrate and make decisions.

• Grief from prior losses may resurface when someone we love dies.

• Grief can affect an individual’s ability to sleep and eat.

Growing Through Grief

Joliet Area Community Hospice offers bereavement support to families for 13 months following a death. These services include:

• Telephone and mail contact to hospice families

• Grief Counseling to hospice families

• Fall & Spring Family Journey; Grief Workshops; Four-session grief programs for adults, teens and children who have experienced the death of a loved one.

• Monthly Grief Newsletter

• Help for the Holidays Workshop; Support for the holidays

• Annual Memorial Service

• Community Education Programs on Grief and Loss

• Puppet Play Presentation “Saying Goodbye to Grandpa”

(This presentation uses story and song to teach children about death, funerals, and grieving in a non-threatening and entertaining way. Hospice staff members and volunteer, experienced in helping those dealing with the death of a loved one, use kid-sized puppets to approach this difficult topic. For more information please call Tom at 815-740-4104 during regular business hours.)

• Children’s Grief Camp - Annual one week camp held in Oregon, Illinois in July. Co-sponsored by the Joliet Area Community Hospice.

• Grief Consultation to the Community

Our Bereavement Support Programs are open to the community.

All Bereavement Grief Workshops and Educational Presentations are led by a team of professionals. Support Group Workshops are a safe and supportive environment to explore and understand grief reactions; share memories; express feelings and learn healthy coping skills.