Compassionate Grief Support Is Built Into Hospice Services
If your family and loved one are considering hospice care, there are many decisions to make. However, you should never have to worry about care and support. That’s why compassionate hospice care services exist. An exceptional hospice team provides the compassionate nursing, symptom management, social work, and spiritual care your loved one needs during this time.
Your hospice team can also provide the care your family requires. Although choosing hospice care does not necessarily mean that your loved one is at the end of their life, there will come a time for grieving. Support for your family during your grief, known as bereavement care, is also a part of hospice.
Keep reading to find out how we support your family before, during, and after the loss of your loved one. If you’re ready to explore hospice care, including nursing and all our available services, contact your local Phoenix office.
Learn About Bereavement Care
Bereavement comes from an Old English word which means “to take away” or “to be deprived of something.” This is often how many families describe the feeling of losing a loved one.
Hospice care at home includes bereavement services, which help families through their grief with the support of a counselor, chaplain, or social worker.
Many families are surprised to find out that bereavement care is a part of Medicare’s Hospice Benefit, which most families use to pay for hospice care.
Every hospice provider must offer bereavement support for at least 13 months after a patient’s death. This is not an add-on service, and it doesn’t require a co-pay.
Bereavement Care From Phoenix Home Care & Hospice
When your loved one enters hospice, you’re welcomed into the Phoenix family to ensure that all family members are cared for during the entire grieving process.
- We recognize that you may have already begun grieving before your loved one enters hospice care. This is called anticipatory grief, and it is a normal part of bereavement. When you choose Phoenix for hospice services, our team finds meaningful ways to support your loved one and family with an awareness of how you’re feeling at this time.
- We also provide bereavement care for up to 15 months after your loved one passes. These additional months that Phoenix provides afford you more time to connect with our bereavement team. Grieving doesn’t end based on an insurance requirement; grief is a human emotion that unfolds over time.
Choose Phoenix for hospice care, including nursing and all our services, to get compassionate care for your loved one and family.
What Is Included In Home Hospice Care Bereavement Services
Bereavement care is not a single service, but a thoughtful collection of options that allow your family to choose what works best for you, fits with your beliefs, and adapts to your pace.
Bereavement services can include:
- Personal phone calls and home visits from a bereavement coordinator or counselor.
- One-on-one grief counseling with trained professionals such as social workers, chaplains, and grief specialists.
- Connection to grief support groups.
- Printed materials and grief education resources that help you understand what you are experiencing and what to expect over time.
- Spiritual support from a chaplain, available for any faith background or even no faith background at all.
- Referrals to community resources, professional therapists, or specialized programs when more focused support is needed.
Your family gets to decide which of these options is the best fit. There is no right way to grieve, and there’s no obligation to participate. You simply have care at your disposal when you need it, by choosing Phoenix for hospice care near you.
Five Tips For Families From the National Institute on Aging
The National Institute on Aging provides an incredibly helpful resource called “Coping With Grief and Loss.” Among other topics, the article explains that grief can affect both the body and mind.
You may feel sadness, shock, guilt, anger, fear, or even numbness. Some people have trouble sleeping, lose interest in food, or struggle to concentrate. No matter what you experience, know that everyone grieves differently.
Give yourself room to feel your loss, while also caring for your health as best you can. Here are some heartfelt tips from our team:
- Try not to judge your feelings. There is no such thing as a “wrong” reaction. Your grief may not look like other people’s grief, and that is okay.
- Talk about your loved one. Sharing stories and memories of your loved one can help you grieve with others. Talking about them may feel painful at first, but you may find that being open can help you feel connected to others.
- Accept care and help. Whether support comes from family, friends, faith communities, private counselors, or your hospice services, help from others makes grief feel less isolated and lonely.
- Take care of your body. Even if it’s difficult, try to eat regular meals, get enough sleep, and keep up with your routines. None of this will “cure” grief, but they can give you more strength as you experience it.
- Know when you need more help.If grief becomes overwhelming for a long period of time or makes daily life feel impossible, you may need more support. Getting additional help does not mean you’ve done something wrong. Seeking professional help is a way of responsibly taking care of your needs.
Families Choose Phoenix For Hospice Care
Phoenix Home Care & Hospice provides patient, compassionate, and honest hospice care that surrounds your loved one and family with the love and support you need during this time.
Your loved one’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are our priority. We also go above and beyond to ensure that your family’s needs are met. Social workers, community volunteers, and bereavement counseling are built into our hospice care services from the beginning, so that you feel connected when you’re experiencing a deep loss.
The decision to choose hospice care at home is difficult, but we want to make it easier for you by walking alongside you for the full journey. We take our role seriously when helping families like yours during the most emotionally complex parts of life. We are honored to be a source of comfort and dignity for you.
Choose Phoenix for hospice care near you, including bereavement services, by contacting your nearest Phoenix Home Care & Hospice team. Even if we don’t have an office in your town, our offices serve the surrounding area, so you’ll always have the Phoenix family to lean on.
Local Phoenix offices in Missouri:
Branson: (417) 334-0717
Columbia: (573) 442-9911
Independence: (816) 373-7442
Jefferson City: (573) 635-3900
Joplin: (417) 680-4000
Lebanon: (417) 344-8001
Sedalia: (660) 827-6667
Springfield: (417) 881-7442
St. Louis: (314) 205-3020
Local Phoenix offices in Kansas:
Hutchinson: (620) 412-4993 Overland Park: (913) 384-2273 Topeka: (785) 260-6444 Wichita: (316) 688-5511
