Bereavement services development in a rural setting

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Community Health
• Grief Counseling

Background:

• Hospital-based hospice programs can extend bereavement support beyond immediate families.
• Rural communities require creative approaches to deliver comprehensive grief services.
• Existing bereavement services were expanded to meet broader community needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify methods for extending bereavement follow-up to both hospice and non-hospice families.
• To explore the integration of survivors from diverse death types into support groups.
• To demonstrate the expansion of bereavement services in response to community needs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of survey results and support group data to inform service expansion.
• Implementation of various support group models (open, closed) and community outreach.
• Development of pre-death intervention and post-death follow-up strategies.

Main Results:

• Bereavement services successfully expanded to include non-hospice families and diverse death circumstances.
• Community engagement through support groups and educational initiatives proved effective.
• Data collection informed the growth and adaptation of services to community needs.

Conclusions:

• Expanding bereavement services requires innovative strategies, particularly in rural areas.
• Integrating diverse grieving populations into support groups can be beneficial.
• Continuous data collection and community feedback are crucial for sustained service growth.