Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Maureen – “Milestones and anniversaries”

Maureen talks about loss and what happens over time.

Kristal – Attending Memorials as a Support Worker

Kristal discusses the importance of finding ways to honour people that have been lost and how they have impacted you. She speaks to how she often chooses not to attend public memorials for those she has lost as a support worker as they are often very overwhelming. Instead, she has her own personal rituals or ways of honouring those she has lost personally including opening a window. She discusses how this practice was used when she worked in palliative care.

Carrie – Creating a photo narrative

Carrie explains how photography can give insight and express things that there reallhy aren’t words for. Photography can be one addtitional way in which to express and capture those moments of our sorrow, grief and pain as well as transformation and healing

Cara – Intellectual disabilities and advance planning

Cara explains that people living with intellectual disabilities are growing to older ages, much like the rest of the population. And as folks are aging what we’re seeing is the need for families more so than ever, to do some advanced planning for who will take over any caregiving decision making or where that person may live, what sort of support they may need and what that’s going to look like after the parents or the guardians die so that this doesn’t become a crisis situation.

Amanda – “The Little Things”

Amanda talks about how little things can be a huge gift during palliative care.

Keith – “Knowing what to say”

Keith gives practical advice about helping someone in grief.

Rev. Sky – “If you have experienced sudden loss”

Rev. Sky discusses things you can do to help navigate emotions.

Amanda – “It’s a gift to love someone”

Amanda talks about grief and it’s connection to love.

Left Out: Enfranchising Children’s Grief and Loss

By: Jessica Milette, MSW, RSW All human beings have the capacity to grieve: people with intellectual disabilities, those living with a traumatic brain injury, and children of all ages. However, many people can experience disenfranchised grief when someone dies. Disenfranchised grief is generally grief that is not usually openly acknowledged, socially accepted or publicly mourned.…

Maureen – “Pregnancy and infant loss”

Maureen explains how pregnancy and infant loss is often misunderstood or underestimated.

Michele – Covid and virtual support

MIchele discuss support and how COVID has affected our grief in so many waysort

Janice – “More to deal with than death when someone dies”

Janice explains that when somebody dies it’s not just the death that you are dealing with but the entire relationship.