Grief and bereavement care

Grief and bereavement care

Grief and bereavement care is offered to families and extended to others involved in a child and family’s life from the time of a child’s diagnosis, through the course of their illness and following the death of any child on our program. Grief and bereavement care focuses on supporting the losses a family may experience throughout a child’s illness and beyond a child’s death. Bereavement, counselling, and grief support can occur over the phone, in person, at the hospital, or in-house at Canuck Place.

Our team is committed to providing the best possible care for children and families. The approach to care is child and family-centred, promoting strengths and building capacity. Our care team assists care coordination by connecting with the child’s community and hospital healthcare providers to provide advice on symptoms and support your goals. Together with family’s health care providers, our team aims to improve the comfort and quality of life for both child and family. This may include stays at one of the hospices, connecting with families during hospital stays, or providing support to families while they are at home. 

In-Hospice 

At Canuck Place our goal is to provide the comforts of home with access to activities and experiences so the family unit can be together. A family team meeting is arranged for the first stay and takes place annually and as needed. These meetings focus on the family’s goals and how best to support them. They also allow for discussion around support in the community, hospital stays, advanced care planning and changing symptoms. 

In-Hospital 

Connecting with families while their child is in hospital is another way to help us get to know how to provide the best support to children and families. Meetings can be arranged while families are in hospital along with their hospital care providers to discuss changing symptoms, advanced care planning and goals. 

In-Home 

Connecting with a child and family while they are at home provides us unique insight into a family’s day-to-day life and what is important to them. Care at home could include telephone/video conferencing support, home visits, community activities or meetings with families and their care providers. Families, children, or our team may ask for a family team meeting at any time to support the care and well-being of the child and family.