Derian House Childrens Hospice
Bereavement Care and Family Support
It’s a sad, but inevitable fact that some of the children, whether young children or adolescents, who visit the hospice will do so at the end of their lives, and the team will do their utmost to offer care, advice and support at such a very sad time. For those families who wish their child’s last days to be spent at home, the Hospice at Home team work in partnership with parents within the home to help ease the physical, practical and emotional burden of finally losing their child. During these difficult days parents can contact the Care Team on a 24 hour a day basis, and be assured of an active response, with staff in place within 2 hours.
Sadly the physical loss of a child is only part of the picture - the emotional loss is one which continues on into the future and is incalculable. There is no cut and dried process or format that will ease the anguish of losing a child, and bereavement support is offered to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings in an effort to help them take their difficult emotional journey one step at a time. Derian House is seen as leading the field in terms of having established a viable and invaluable network of care in bereavement support.
The initial Stepping Stones groups were set up to offer bereaved parents the company of others in a similar situation, some insight into their own and others feelings , and the provision of some hope of surviving the bleak emptiness of losing a child. The groups continue to meet for nine sessions over nine months, with any baby sitting needs catered for by a children’s group known as "Pebbles" which is run by the Derian House Play Specialist. For families too distanced to attend on a regular basis the sessions are condensed into a single "Bridging Day".
In line with its pioneering work Derian House is the first children’s hospice to offer a dedicated bereavement support for grandparents. After pilot studies introduced in 1999, the "Cornerstones" support facility for grandparents developed into regular sessions, with all available places taken up by bereaved grandparents.
The already established "Treasure Weekend" for bereaved siblings is recognised as a major focus each year, and the more recently established Sibling Support Group which is offered to any child who has a brother or sister who visits the hospice for respite or terminal care. The Group gives siblings the opportunity to voice their feelings, explore their emotions, and above all have the reassurance of knowing there are other children sharing the same journey.
