Parenting classes as a part of a hospice bereavement program

Area of Science:

• Family Systems
• Child Psychology
• Bereavement Studies

Background:

• Loss significantly impacts family dynamics, especially parent-child relationships.
• Grieving parents require specialized support to navigate their children's emotional needs.
• Hospice centers play a crucial role in providing resources for families experiencing grief.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the experience of a hospice parenting program for grieving parents.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a time-limited parenting group for families coping with loss.
• To identify key skills and insights gained by parents participating in the program.

Main Methods:

• A time-limited parenting group was implemented at The Mount Carmel Hospice Evergreen Center.
• Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from participating parents.
• The program focused on normalizing parental experiences and enhancing parenting skills.

Main Results:

• The parenting group normalized the experience of parenting grieving children.
• Parents enhanced their skills in managing child grief.
• Participants learned to respect the individuality of a child's grief process.

Conclusions:

• Parenting programs can effectively support families through the grieving process.
• Normalizing parental experiences is vital for effective grief support.
• Respecting the unique grief journey of each child is essential for healing.