AftercareAftercare

Canine’s DefinitionCanine’s Definition

““any postdeath or postfuneral program of any postdeath or postfuneral program of survivor rehabilitation designed to help the survivor rehabilitation designed to help the individual through the grief process and individual through the grief process and successfully readjust to his/her successfully readjust to his/her environment”environment”

Sociological FactorsSociological Factors

Preindustrial SocietiesPreindustrial Societies

Postindustrial SocietyPostindustrial Society

Technological AdvancesTechnological Advances

Absence of a Cohesive StructureAbsence of a Cohesive Structure

Psychological FactorsPsychological Factors

TimelinessTimeliness PreventabilityPreventability Fulfillment of the Deceased’s LifeFulfillment of the Deceased’s Life Context of the DeathContext of the Death Secondary LossesSecondary Losses

Purpose of AftercarePurpose of Aftercare

““to facilitate the process through to facilitate the process through reassurance, education, permission to reassurance, education, permission to express thoughts and feelings, and social express thoughts and feelings, and social support within a nonjudgmental support within a nonjudgmental framework” (Canine)framework” (Canine)

Requirements of a Bereavement Requirements of a Bereavement ProgramProgram

Rando’s 7 steps:Rando’s 7 steps: 1) make contact and assess1) make contact and assess 2) maintain a therapeutic and realistic perspective2) maintain a therapeutic and realistic perspective 3) encourage expression of feelings and recollection 3) encourage expression of feelings and recollection

of the deceasedof the deceased 4) help the mourner identify and work through 4) help the mourner identify and work through

secondary losses and unfinished businesssecondary losses and unfinished business 5) support the mourner in coping with the mourning 5) support the mourner in coping with the mourning

processprocess 6) help the mourner to accommodate to the loss6) help the mourner to accommodate to the loss 7) work with the mourner to reinvest in the new life7) work with the mourner to reinvest in the new life

Factors that Impact Utilization of Factors that Impact Utilization of AftercareAftercare

1) lack of general knowledge about the 1) lack of general knowledge about the normalcy of griefnormalcy of grief

2) bereaved may be too overwhelmed 2) bereaved may be too overwhelmed

Aftercare OpportunitiesAftercare Opportunities

Print and Video MaterialsPrint and Video Materials Interpersonal ActivitiesInterpersonal Activities Individualized InterventionIndividualized Intervention Other Resources:Other Resources:

Roles of Death Care ProfessionalsRoles of Death Care Professionals

Medical PersonnelMedical Personnel ClergyClergy Mental Health ProfessionalsMental Health Professionals HospiceHospice Funeral Service ProvidersFuneral Service Providers

Categories of Bereavement Categories of Bereavement Aftercare ProgramsAftercare Programs

Professional ServicesProfessional Services

Self-help and/or Support GroupsSelf-help and/or Support Groups

HospiceHospice

Models of AftercareModels of Aftercare

Hospital-Based Support ProgramsHospital-Based Support Programs

Funeral Home Grief Aftercare ProgramsFuneral Home Grief Aftercare Programs

Hospice and Other GroupsHospice and Other Groups

Arrangement Arrangement ConferenceConference

““Show me the manner in which a nation or Show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead and I will a community cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect tender mercies of its people, their respect for the law of the land, and their loyalty to for the law of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals.”high ideals.”

Form vs. FunctionForm vs. Function

If the need to create meaningful If the need to create meaningful ceremonies is so obvious…….why has it ceremonies is so obvious…….why has it posed such a challenge to the profession? posed such a challenge to the profession? (Bill Hillbrick) (Bill Hillbrick)

Deritualization of the FuneralDeritualization of the Funeral(Wolfelt)(Wolfelt)

1) We live in the world’s first death-free generation.1) We live in the world’s first death-free generation. 2) We live in a mobile fast-paced culture.2) We live in a mobile fast-paced culture. 3) We value self-reliance.3) We value self-reliance. 4) We are adopting a more academic attitude 4) We are adopting a more academic attitude

toward life and death.toward life and death. 5) We don’t understand the role of pain and 5) We don’t understand the role of pain and

suffering.suffering. 6) We have lost the symbolism of death.6) We have lost the symbolism of death. 7) 7) We deny our own mortality.We deny our own mortality.

Purposes of the Meaningful Purposes of the Meaningful Funeral (Wolfelt)Funeral (Wolfelt)

1) Confirm that someone we love has 1) Confirm that someone we love has died.died. 2) Help us understand that death is final.2) Help us understand that death is final. 3) Allow us to say good-bye.3) Allow us to say good-bye. 4) Serve as a private and public transition.4) Serve as a private and public transition. 5) Encourage us to embrace and express our pain.5) Encourage us to embrace and express our pain. 6) Help us to remember the person who died 6) Help us to remember the person who died and and

encourage us to share those memories with encourage us to share those memories with others.others.

Purposes (cont’d)Purposes (cont’d)

7) Offer a time and place for us to talk about the 7) Offer a time and place for us to talk about the life and death of the deceased.life and death of the deceased.

8) Affirm the worth of our relationship with the 8) Affirm the worth of our relationship with the person who died.person who died.

9) Provide a social support system for us and 9) Provide a social support system for us and other mourners.other mourners.

10) Help integrate mourners back into the 10) Help integrate mourners back into the community.community.

11) Allow us to search for meaning in life and 11) Allow us to search for meaning in life and death.death.

Purposes (cont’d)Purposes (cont’d)

12) Reinforce the fact of death in all our 12) Reinforce the fact of death in all our lives.lives.

13) Establish ongoing helping 13) Establish ongoing helping relationships among mourners.relationships among mourners.

Funeral MisconceptionsFuneral Misconceptions

Funerals are too expensive.Funerals are too expensive. Funerals make us too sad.Funerals make us too sad. Funerals are barbaric.Funerals are barbaric. Funerals are inconvenient.Funerals are inconvenient. Funerals and cremation are mutually Funerals and cremation are mutually

exclusive.exclusive. Funerals require the body to be Funerals require the body to be

embalmed.embalmed.

Misconceptions (cont’d)Misconceptions (cont’d)

Funerals are only for religious people.Funerals are only for religious people. Funerals are rote and meaningless.Funerals are rote and meaningless. Funerals should reflect what the dead Funerals should reflect what the dead

person wanted.person wanted. Funerals are only for grown-ups.Funerals are only for grown-ups.

Reconciliation Needs of Reconciliation Needs of MourningMourning

1) acknowledge the reality of the death1) acknowledge the reality of the death 2) move toward the pain of the loss2) move toward the pain of the loss 3) remember the person who died3) remember the person who died 4) develop a new self-identity4) develop a new self-identity 5) search for meaning5) search for meaning 6) receive ongoing support from others6) receive ongoing support from others