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Print this PageCounseling and Bereavement Support
From the first contact or inquiry, our dedicated staff offers compassion and assistance to respond to families' concerns. A response team is available to meet with you in your home, or at a hospital or facility. Our purpose is to help you make an informed decision, address any immediate difficulties, and expedite hospice care if we have consent from you and your doctor to proceed. We respond to calls for hospice admissions nights and weekends, to be available for a sudden change in condition or crisis.
Supportive counseling is integral to the hospice program. Families receive ongoing counseling throughout hospice and additional bereavement support for thirteen months following the death of a hospice patient. With our skillful staff of social workers, ordained rabbis and chaplains, our patient's comfort and peace of mind is of paramount importance to us. We strive to minimize stress and confusion, while supporting the family's role throughout the illness. Family members and significant others are guided by the hospice interdisciplinary team in preparing for the eventual passing of our patient and how best to cope with their loss. Working with the family while we care for a patient, we are able to identify special needs and plan for interventions at the time of their loved one's passing.
Bereavement is a transitional process during which periodic assessments are conducted relating to the emotional and physical health of the bereaved. At Skirball Hospice, our bereavement support includes ongoing planned contacts with the family through visits, telephone calls, letters, and support groups. Those with complex grief reactions receive special attention and, when appropriate, referrals to additional counseling services. All participants in the bereavement program receive a comprehensive series of mailings at regular intervals to help reflect on their loss and assist with their grief recovery process. Each letter focuses on a specific resource to assist with the remembrance of their loved one and to help with the feelings of loss. The support continues for thirteen months to cover an entire cycle of holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries, helping family members maintain or regain their prior level of well-being.
