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Hospice and Bereavement Resources  

Hospice Resources 

Bereavement Resources 

Loss of a Parent  

  • A Good Enough Daughter, by Alix Kates Shulman (1999). A memoir focusing on the author's relation to her family, framed by her return home in the last years of her parents' lives, where she makes important discoveries (especially from her mother's writings).
  • A Mother Loss Workbook: Healing Exercises for Daughters, by Diane Hambrook & Gail Eisenberg (1999)
  • Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss, by Hope Edelman (1994). Explores the many and often complex emotions a woman experiences when a mother dies. From a linear experience to an emotional understanding, this book can help unravel difficult feelings.
  • Remembering Mother, Finding Myself: A Journey of Love and Self-Acceptance, by Patricia Commins (1999)
  • You Are So Beautiful Without Your Hair: A Daughter's Journey With the Death of Her Parents, Suzanne Piela (2000). Written by a former nurse about her experience with the deaths of her parents, who succumbed to cancer within a year of each other.
  • A Music I No Longer Heard: The Early Death of a Parent, by Leslie Simon & Jan Johnson Drantell (1998). Oral history from people age 19 to 87 who have in common with each other and with the authors the loss of a parent at an early age. Reflections on the ways the interviewees (and the authors) have recognized and dealt with the effects of their loss. Simon and Schuster.
  • And When Did You Last See Your Father?: A Son’s Memoir of Love and Loss, by Blake Morrison (1997)
  • Children and Grief: When a Parent Dies, by J. William Worden (1996)
  • The Loss That Is Forever: The Lifelong Impact of Early Death of Mother or Father, by Maxine Harris (1994).  Interviews with 65 people, explores & explains the effects of early parental loss.
  • How It Feels When A Parent Dies, by Jill Kremetz (1988).  Eighteen children, different races, ages 7-17 speak openly & honestly of their experiences with a parental death.
  • Recovering from the Loss of a Parent: How Ordinary People Overcame Their Grief, by Katherine Fair Donnelly (1993). Covers grief, guilt, sibling problems and memories.

Loss of a Sibling 

  • A Birthday Present for Daniel: A Child’s Story of Loss,  by Juliet Rothman (2001)
  • Am I Still a Sister?, by Alicia Sims (1988)  preteen
  • Letters to Sara: The Agony of Adult Sibling Loss, by Anne McCurry (2001)
  • Lost and Found: Remembering a Sister, by Ellen Yeoman (2000) for children
  • Recovering from the Loss of a Sibling, Katherine Fair Donnelly (1988). One of the few books on an often unacknowledged grief, the death of an adult sibling.
  • Surviving the Death of a Sibling: Living Through Grief When an Adult Brother or Sister Dies, by T.J. Wray (2003)

Loss of a Grandparent 

  • Finding Grandpa Everywhere: A Young Child Discovers Memories of a Grandparent, by John Hodge (1998)
  • Grandpa Loved, by Josephine Nobisso (1989). A boy remembers his grandfather who has died, not with sadness, but with the kind of love and joy his grandpa brought to life.
  • Grandma's Scrapbook, by Josephine Nobisso (1990). A beloved picture book that may help you in your bereavement work. This book has helped countless people – adults as well as children – find comfort, grace, and hope in the face of every kind of loss.
  • Relative Grief: Parents and Children, Sisters and Brothers, Husbands, Wives and Partners, Grandparents and Grandchildren Talk About Their Experience of Death and Grieving, edited by Judy Merry & Clare Jenkins (2005)

Loss of a Child 

  • A Child Dies: A Portrait of Family Grief, by Joan H. Arnold & Penelope B. Gemma (1994)
  • Give Sorrow Words: A Father's Passage through Grief, by Tom Crider (1996)
    Goodbye, My Child, by Sara Wheeler & Margaret Pike (1993). Comforting and practical. Covers children of all ages. Addresses both women's and men's grief, and "red flags" of grief.
  • Grieving the Child I Never Knew: A Devotional Companion for Comfort in the Loss of Your Unborn or Newly Born Child, by Kathe Wunnenberg (2001)
  • Miscarriage: Women Sharing from the Heart, by Marie Allen & Shelly Marks (1993)
  • The Bereaved Parent, by Harriet Sarnoff Schiff (1977). Considered a classic, and provides helpful counsel for those grieving a child's death.
  • The Worst Loss: How Families Heal From the Death of a Child, by Barbara D. Rosof (1994)
  • Grief support after the death of a child www.compassionatefriends 

Loss of a Spouse 

  • Being a Widow: A Compassionate, Practical Guide, by Lynn Caine (1988). Discusses anxiety attacks, need to express emotions, sleep problems, children, creating a new life, etc.
  • Beyond Loss: A Practical Guide Through Grief to a Meaningful Life, by Lilly Singer (1988). Includes three personal stories, specific day-to-day advice and encouragement.
  • Companion Through the Darkness: Inner Dialogues on Grief, by Stephanie Ericsson (1988). Legitimizes the intense and often taboo emotions felt after a loss. Brief chapters make it easy to be open and read at any point.
  • I’m Grieving as Fast as I Can: How Young Widows and Widowers Can Cope and Heal, by Linda Feinberg (1994)
  • It Must Have Been Moonglow, by Phyllis Greene. (2001). Reflections on the first years of widowhood through journal entries & essays.
  • On Your Own: A Widow’s Passage to Emotional and Financial Well-Being, by Alexandra Armstrong & Mary Donahue (1993)
  • The Widow’s Handbook: A Guide for Dealing With the Emotional and Practical Aspects of Widowhood, by Charlotte Foehner (1988)
  • The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion (2005).  Reflections of the widow of a sudden death. 
  • Widowed, by Dr. Joyce Brothers (1990). Dr. Brothers discusses her own widowhood and offers direction for others. 
  • Widow’s Walk, by Anne Hosansky (1993). Personal story with helpful insights into grief and coping with major loss.  

Male Grief 

  • A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis (1961). A classic. Famous author’s personal account of grief, doubts, rage and rediscovered faith following his wife’s death.
    Father Loss: How Sons of All Ages Come to Terms With the Deaths of Their Dads, by Neil Chethick (2001)
  • Men and Grief: A Guide for Men Suffering the Death of a Loved One, and a Resource for Caregivers and Mental Health Professionals, by Carol Staudacher (1991). The approach allows men to share their common ground; helps lessen sense of isolation.
  • When Men Grieve: Why Men Grieve Differently and How You Can Help, by Elizabeth Levang (1998)
  • When Your Father Dies: How a Man Deals With the Loss of His Father, by Dave Veerman & Bruce Barton (2003)
  • Why Her, Why Now: A Man’s Journey Through Love, Death, and Grief, by Lon Elmer (1990). Honest and hopeful.

Other Bereavement Resources 

  • Grief, Dying & Death, by Therese Rando (1993). Champaign, IL: Research Press.
  • Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief, by Martha W. Hickman (1994)
  • How to Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies, by Therese Rando (1991). Clearly written; addresses sudden vs. anticipated death, many types of losses, and resolving grief.
  • How to Survive the Loss of a Love, by Melba Colgrove, Peter McWilliams and Harold Bloomfield (1993). Comforting guide to understanding loss. Suggests ways of surviving, healing and growing. Also includes losses other than death.
  • Living When a Loved One Has Died, by Earl Grollman (1977). Brief, easy to comprehend during the confusion and emotional upheaval of bereavement.
  • Surviving Grief…And Learning to Live Again, by Catherine Sanders (1992)
  • Tear Soup, by Pat Schiverbert (2001)
  • What Helped Me When My Loved One Died, by Earl A. Grollman (1981)
  • When Bad Things Happen to Good People, by Harold Kushner (1983). A rabbi’s personal story of a son’s fatal illness. Explores the challenges to faith after tragedy. Compassionate and helpful.
  • Conquering the Mysteries and Lies of Grief, by Sherry Russell (2002)
  • “Bereavement” Magazine – A bimonthly publication which includes articles and poetry on the issues of grief and bereavement. Includes information about conferences and events. Published by Bereavement Publishing, Inc., 8133 Telegraph Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. Telephone (719) 282-1948 or fax (719) 282-1850 or e-mail: grief@usa.net;
  • Centering Corporation – A publishing company that provides literature and videos on topics ranging from the death of a newborn, child or spouse, to children’s grief literature and workshop information. Call Centering Corporation at (402) 553-1200, or write them at: 1531 N. Saddle Creek Road, Omaha, NE 68104, to request a catalog.
  • Association for Death Education and Counseling 
  • Center for Loss & Life Transition 
  • Online community for persons dealing with grief, death and major loss 
  • NPR Program – The end of life: exploring death in America 
  • “Living with Loss” magazine 
  • WebHealing 

For Children Dealing with Loss 

Support Groups for Adults Dealing with Loss

  • The Road to Healing - A six-week discussion group for those who have experienced a loss through death. Focus is on sharing feelings, discussing grief issues and providing education regarding grief and loss. Please call 317-338-4008 or toll free 888-780-7284 to register. Group limited to 12 participants.  
  • A Daughter’s Grief – A six-week discussion group for women who have experienced the loss of their mothers through death. Focus is on sharing feelings, discussing grief issues and providing education regarding grief and loss. Group is held four times a year, at St. Vincent Hospice. Please call 317-338-4008 or toll free 888-780-7284 to register. Group limited to 12 participants.  
  • Safe Haven Parents Grief Support Group - An on-going discussion group for parents who have experienced the death of a child. Focus is on sharing feelings, discussing grief issues, and providing education on grief and loss. Meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Tuesday each month, from 6:00pm-7:30pm, at St. Vincent Hospice. Registration not required.  
  • Widow - Widower Grief Support Group - For men and women who have experienced the death of their spouse. Focus is on discussing issues impacting widows and widowers. Group meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at St. Vincent Hospice. This is an on-going group. Registration not required.  
  • Lunch-bunch: This group is open to anyone in the community who is looking for support through socialization, following the death of a loved one. The group meets at the MCL Cafeteria, 2370 W. 86th St. on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Participants are responsible for purchasing their meal. Registration not required.  
  • Art Therapy - Dave Labrum, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and artist, has joined our bereavement department to provide art counseling as another service to those who are grieving. Dave has been working as an art counselor with bereaved individuals for the past six years, using art as a means to express their grief. Art may be used to express emotions and feelings that may be difficult to access in any other way following the death of a loved one. For information, please call 317-338-4431.
  • Journey's Through Grief- The Focus of this on-going support group is continuing support for anyone who is grieving the death of a loved one. Discussions will include emotions encountered during the grief process with emphasis on normalizing feelings and sharing the experience of grieving with others. Education on the grief process will also be provided. Both afternoon and evening sessions are offered. No pre-registration required. Call 317-338-4008 for dates and time.
  • Grief and the Holidays - Grief and the Holidays is a one session seminar for those searching for ways to cope with their grief after the death of a loved one. Getting through the holiday season may be difficult for those living through the loss of a loved one. During this time of celebration, the gap left by a loss is often felt most intensely. Traditions which have meant so much may now evoke pain rather than joy. This seminar will provide a review of the grief process as a normal response to loss. In addition, participants will learn and explore together practical ways to approach the holidays. This seminar is held in November, prior to Thanksgiving. Please call 338-4040 for information regarding exact dates and times. There is no fee for this community program. Registration is required

To learn more about the bereavement support opportunities offered through St. Vincent Hospice, call (317) 338-4040 or our toll-free number (888) 780-7284.

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