Life-threatening illness affects not just the person who is ill, but also family and friends. Hospice care seeks to include these 'significant others' in the scope of its support, both during the patient's illness and when death occurs. 

Bereavement support and the IHF

Bereavement support is an important aspect of the work of the Irish Hospice Foundation. We do not, however, offer bereavement counselling, but rather promote the concept of bereavement support by providing information, education and other services.

• Have you or has someone you care for recently been bereaved?

Some aspects of our work are aimed directly at persons who have been bereaved and/or at family and friends who may be seeking to support them.  If this is your area of interest, click here.

• Does your profession bring you into contact with the bereaved?

More generally, however, our work is aimed at those who are professionally engaged in bereavement support or who may find themselves having to fulfil a bereavement support role to clients, colleagues, employees, children or others. We do this principally through our education and training programmes, which range from one/two-day workshops to an M.Sc. in Bereavement Studies. 

We also offer consultation and support to those who may be interested in setting up or developing a bereavement support service.

We promote access to bereavement-related material through the Therese Brady Library.

Bereavement Care Liaison Project

A three-year project, the Bereavement Care Liaison Project is currently being run in partnership with the HSE in Longford/Westmeath and Laois/Offaly. The project's vision is: that the normal life events of loss and bereavement are met with informed compassion, and with sensitive appropriate support and levels of care, regardless of the circumstances surrounding a death (sudden death; death by suicide, etc.) and the services involved.

Click on  BCL Project - Summary & Action Plan to download a summary report and action plan for the area.

In addition, the IHf has supported the development of bereavement support services through our development grants scheme.