Supporting Others

Matt – Telling my young son

Matt describes the death of his birth mother to his young son.

Keith – “How can you help”

Keith explains that by imagining being in someone’s position can show you practical ways of helping them.

Community Grief Toolkit [Downloadable!]

This toolkit also reflects on how we support grief in the community. The tools to come together and honour our collective experiences and how to build the resources for further support.

John Martin – Loss Grief and Recovery

John explains what is on the other side of grief and loss

Alongside

That is also our best, and only role, when supporting a person with a developmental disability to grieve. We must be the one that comes alongside. There is no closer place we can get to. We must be present, be with, perhaps not understanding or comprehending what the person we support is experiencing, but alongside them nonetheless. We must be there, ready to provide whatever we can discover of their unique need in grief.

Lyss – Therapy and the right fit

Lyss talks about therapy and finding the right fit

John Martin – Understanding Grief part 2

John talks about permission to grieve

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.

Joyce – Using my grief experience to help people

Joyce talks about the positive experiences she has in helping other people in grief

Caileigh – Through play children learn so much about their grief

Caileigh discussed how children learn so much about their grief through play. There’s less confusion, there’s less anxiety, there’s more awareness. For the child and the parent, there is more acceptance of grief.

John Martin – Loss and Grief – Get Your Feeling Out

John discusses the importance of getting your feelings out

John Martin – Grief – Don’t Ignore Your Losses. Loss needs to be acknowledged.

John explains why it is important to acknowledge grief