Emotional & Bereavement Support

Man sat at a pine kitchen table with a cup of tea looking at a woman with long brown hair with her back to the camera out of focus.

Emotional Support

We all need emotional support at different times in our lives, family and friends are the main people who provide this support. If you have a life-limiting or life-threatening condition or are a parent or sibling of a person with a serious medical condition you may need additional support from people who are independent of your family.

At Francis House all the families are entitled to access the emotional support. The emotional support team review and assess what the family or individual is going through, what their needs are, and the contributing factors to them needing emotional support.

Young woman with curly blonde hair sat smiling at the camera next to a young boy seated in a wheelchair in a gazebo in a garden — Dawn Tulloch, Paul’s mum

Dawn said: “Francis House has helped a lot with my mental health and what I’m going through in my day to day struggles. Even looking after Paul I still have my own problems and other things going on with me and I’ve had emotional support to help with that.”

Emotional support and young people

It can be difficult for a young person to talk to their close family about their own feelings and fears regarding their future, how their condition may affect their independence and relationships. At the Hospice there are care team members who have additional training and experience to provide the extra support that is needed at different times in a young person’s life.

“There’s nothing more therapeutic than talking about what they’re going through and how they are feeling. It’s important for the young people to feel that it’s okay for them to open up about their thoughts and feelings about their deterioration and their death. Our role is that they’ve got someone to talk to at Francis House.”
Gio Castro - Emotional Support Team

Bereavement Support

The Bereavement Team offers support to parents and to sisters and brothers following the death of their child or sibling. Parents, brothers and sisters may experience any or all of the following feelings – sadness, anger, confusion, disbelief and isolation.

The support enables adults and children to speak openly about their feelings, to understand their loss and cope with their grief.

Parents

Experienced Care team members who hold a Certificate in Counselling contact families approximately 6 weeks after the death of the child or young person to offer bereavement support to the parents. People are able to choose to have support individually or as a couple. The support can take place either at the Hospice or in the family home. Parent’s evenings are held for bereaved parents helping them to meet other parents in an informal and relaxed setting.

Sisters and Brothers

Depending on the age of the sisters or brothers, contact can be made with them or with their parents.

Younger children are invited to our bereaved siblings group called ‘Shining Stars.’

The small group sessions take place at Francis House. The children have the opportunity to explore and express feelings about their grief in a safe environment with experienced care team members. Shining Stars helps children to develop their own way of remembering their brother or sister both now and in the future.

For older brothers and sisters individual bereavement support is available, which usually takes place in the Hospice, home or in a neutral environment.

“Nathan had his ninth birthday just after Oliver's funeral. At Shining Stars he was able to meet children who are in exactly the same situation and that he’d already made friendships with. Other friends might have lost a grandparent or maybe even a parent, but there are not many kids who have lost a brother or a sister.”
Darren Brockbank