What Bereavement Care Includes
Bereavement care is included as part of hospice services and continues at no additional cost after your loved one’s death.
Here’s what we provide:
Phone Check-Ins and Ongoing Contact
After the initial weeks of loss, many people feel abandoned as support systems return to normal life. We don’t disappear.
Our bereavement team calls regularly to check in (frequency based on your needs), and reaches out during difficult milestones and whenever you need us. You’re not a bother. You’re not being needy. Reaching out for support is exactly what this service is for.
Grief Education and Resources
Grief can feel chaotic and confusing, especially when your emotions don’t match what you expected. Education helps normalize what you’re feeling.
Knowledge doesn’t eliminate pain, but it can reduce fear and isolation by helping you understand that what you’re experiencing is normal.
Memorial and Remembrance Events
Throughout the year, James River Home Health & Hospice hosts memorial events where families can:
- Remember loved ones who have passed
- Connect with other bereaved families
- Participate in rituals of remembrance (candle lighting, sharing memories)
- Find community in collective grief
- Reconnect with your care team
These events provide meaningful opportunities to honor your loved one and acknowledge that while they’re gone, they’re not forgotten.
Referrals to Specialized Grief Therapists
Sometimes grief becomes complicated, when depression deepens, trauma symptoms develop, or grief interferes with daily functioning for an extended period.
Our bereavement team recognizes when additional support is needed and can refer you to licensed therapists, psychiatrists and other specialists specializing in grief and loss.
Needing professional therapy doesn’t mean you’re failing at grief. It means you’re taking your healing seriously.
Who Bereavement Services Are For
All family members are eligible for bereavement support. Not just the primary caregiver. This includes:
- Spouses and partners
- Adult children
- Parents who lost an adult child
- Siblings -Grandchildren
- Close friends who were significantly impacted by the loss
You don’t have to have been the primary caregiver to qualify for support. If you’re grieving, you’re eligible.
When to Seek Additional Help
Bereavement support is helpful for most people, but sometimes grief requires professional therapy. Consider seeking specialized help if:
- You’re having thoughts of self-harm or suicide
- Grief interferes with your ability to function for more than several months
- You’re using alcohol or substances to numb the pain
- You’re experiencing symptoms of PTSD (flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance)
- Depression deepens and doesn’t improve over time -You’re unable to accept the death many months later
Our bereavement coordinators can help assess your needs and connect you with appropriate mental health professionals.