Tā mātou tautokoOur support

Bereavement support

Support for you as you navigate grief and bereavement

Mary Potter Hospice’s Bereavement Family Support team are here to support you as you navigate grief and bereavement.

Every loss is a very personal experience and no two people experience loss in the same way. Our bereavement support service is free of charge to you, other whānau, family members and carers. All our services are available to you for up to 12 months after the death of a family member.

Mary Potter Hospice offers the following free-of-charge, confidential grief and bereavement support:

Phone call and/or visit
A Hospice staff member (usually a nurse and/or social worker) directly involved in a family member’s care will call you or arrange a visit within 24-36 hours after a death.

Practical grief support
Our social workers are available to assist you with funeral planning, financial matters, housing concerns and family issues before and after a death of a family member.

‘How are you?’ phone call
A member of the Family Bereavement Support team will give you a call approximately 2-12 weeks after a death. This is an opportunity to let us know your needs and how we can support you, if this is something that you would find useful.

Invitation to a Time of Remembrance Service
You are invited to attend a remembrance service 4-9 months after a death. This is an opportunity to remember and give thanks for the person who has died.

Bereavement coffee and chat café
This is an informal meet-up over coffee at a local café in central Wellington, where bereaved people can gather with others who are in a similar situation. This café meet-up is hosted by volunteers who have experienced a bereavement themselves and have received training on loss and grief. Their work is supervised by Hospice staff.

One-to-one bereavement support
Many people find that it helps to talk with someone who is not part of their family or close circle of friends. Our one-to-one bereavement support is an opportunity to talk about how your loss is affecting you, in confidence, with someone who will be able to listen to your experience of grief.

Our Hospice counsellors can help you think through any changes you may need to make and find a way to a new life that includes remembering the person who has died in the way that you want. How often you meet is negotiated between you and the counsellor.

Healing through Storytelling
We host a five-week programme on Healing through Storytelling. This is an informal gathering for people to hear about how others have navigated their grief. Invited speakers come along to share about their experiences and the audience has an opportunity to ask any questions they may have.

Please contact your local Hospice base to speak with a Bereavement Co-ordinator to discuss your needs or for information about the support we offer.

Bereavement resources:

Mary Potter Hospice resources
About Grief – a practical leaflet about grief by Mary Potter Hospice
Remembrance videos – Hospice staff members have recorded waiata, poetry readings and more that you may find useful

Apps
Headspace
Calm
Balance

Websites:
www.griefcentre.org.nz
www.skylight.org.nz
www.terauora.com
www.leva.co.nz
www.thelowdown.co.nz
www.mentalhealth.org.nz

Books
Resilient Grieving by Lucy Hone
Grief on the Run: How Active Grieving Helped me Cope with Devastating Loss by Julie Zarifeh
Life as a Casketeer by Francis and Kaiora Tipene
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Languages of Loss by Sasha Bates