Bereavement Care
The St David’s Hospice Bereavement Service is for anybody who has recently experienced the loss of a loved one.
Know that you are not alone
Grieving is a natural process and it can be lonely and frightening, but you are not alone. St. David’s Hospice Care’s Bereavement team work with family members to gain an understanding of the grieving process which can help you to cope.
The St David’s Hospice Bereavement Service is for anybody who has recently experienced the loss of a loved one.
Grief is a normal response to the loss of someone we love and feeling overwhelmed by the range and intensity of the emotions experienced can take you by surprise. Everyone’s reaction to grief is unique, and different people in a family may experience different emotions, even when they are mourning the loss of the same person. There's no right or wrong way to feel. The Bereavement Support Team can help when people feel the need to talk to someone other than family and friends.
We have a range of bereavement support on offer. If you would like to find out more, or talk to someone about your loss, you can join us at one of our monthly bereavement coffee mornings or contact us to discuss your individual needs.
Our service is available Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm and you can reach us on 01633 851051 or 07510 848368 during office hours. Outside office hours, you can leave a message and we’ll return your call.
If you need support outside of office hours, the Samaritans offer a free confidential 24 hour listening service and can be contacted on Freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
Useful Resources
What to expect at our Bereavement Support Sessions
Bereavement support from St David’s Hospice Care is talking that involves speaking with a trained member of our bereavement team who will listen to you and help you find ways to deal with the emotional issues your bereavement is raising. We work with adults and children and young people who have lost another adult.
At your session you'll be encouraged to talk about your feelings and emotions. You will be listened to and supported without judging or criticising. We aim to help you gain a better understanding of your feelings and thought processes, and find your own solutions to problems. We won't give advice or tell you what to do.
Book a Bereavement Session
Support can take place face to face, in a group, over the phone or via email.
E: bereavement@stdavidshospicecare.org
T: 01633 851051 M: 07510848368
You will usually be offered a short course of sessions over a few weeks or months, or sometimes a longer course that lasts for several months.
It can take a number of sessions before you start to see progress, but you should gradually start to feel better with help and support.
Bereavement, grief and loss can cause many different symptoms and they affect people in different ways.
Bereavement, grief and loss can cause many different symptoms and they affect people in different ways. Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Shock and numbness – this is usually the first reaction to loss, and people often talk about "being in a daze".
- Overwhelming sadness, with lots of crying.
- Tiredness or exhaustion.
- Anger – towards the person you've lost or the reason for your loss.
- Guilt – for example, guilt about feeling angry, about something you said or did not say, or not being able to stop your loved one dying.
These feelings may not be there all the time and powerful feelings may appear unexpectedly.
The Five Stages of Grief
Shock
The unreality not wanting or able to accept the death, perhaps a feeling.
Separation
Finding it still very hard to accept the death of a loved one. Sometimes having a moment when we feel better, then having a massive tidal wave of emotion.
Despair
Perhaps a feeling of depression and feeling unable to function, feeling as if we are going mad.
Acceptance
Realising that your loved one will not be coming back and you will no longer have them physically in your life.
Resolution
Our new journey without our loved one where we can cope much of the time and reinvest in life.
Not everyone will go through these stages of grief, your experience will be individual to you and we would encourage you to contact us or come to a coffee morning to gain support from others at a time that is right for you.
There is lots of information and resources on the NHS website.
Information about other bereavement services can be found at www.ataloss.org
