February 1998
The Director - Features
Bereavement Support Groups: An Integral Component of an Aftercare Program
Aftercare programs are increasingly emerging in the funeral service profession. Many funeral homes have hired nurse clinical specialists and clinical social workers to provide bereavement services to the "walking wounded" who have no affiliation to a support group.
Bereavement Support Groups: An Integral Component of an Aftercare Program explains the public's need for aftercare programs and why funeral homes are ideal places to serve as bereavement support resources. Written by Barbara R. Hirsch, the article also discusses how the absence of funeral rituals can lead to improper closure and leave individuals with unresolved grief, which can lead to unexplained physical, emotional and spiritual pain.
Hirsch, an experienced hospice nurse, currently works as a bereavement consultant for Vincent Funeral Home in Simsbury, CT.
