Helpful Information

Veterans and Family Memorial Care

Dealing with Grief – There is Life After Death

When losing a loved one, you may be overwhelmed with grief. This may result in a feeling of doubt and refusal to acknowledge what has happened. Great Information provided by one of our website visitors.
http://www.bonaventurefh.com/dealing-with-grief.html

Bereavement Fares – Airline Policies in the Case of an Emergency or Death

Booking a flight in the wake of an emergency or loved one’s death is overwhelming, and oftentimes done in a haze of grief. To assist mourning passengers, airlines for years have offered bereavement fare discounts, but more recently have phased them out. Several airlines still offer bereavement fares, also known as compassion fares, but policies and potential savings vary significantly.
http://www.bonaventurefh.com/bereavement-fares.html

AARP: “Coping With Grief and Loss”
http://www.aarp.org/families/grief_loss/

Dougy Center: The Dougy Center for Grieving Children

This site for The National Center for Grieving Children & Families provides helpful information and guidance about how to support grieving children and teens and their families. Find details about trainings, order publications developed by The Dougy Center’s expert staff and search the international directory of children’s grief services.
http://www.GrievingChild.org

GriefNet

GriefNet is a place where you can communicate with others via e-mail support groups about death, grief, and major loss, including life-threatening and chronic illness. From the homepage, click on “e-mail support groups information”
http://www.griefnet.org/

Growth House

With the goal of improving the quality of care for the dying, this site offers an extensive directory of internet resources relating to life-threatening illness and end-of-life care; also offers a monthly e-mail newsletter.
http://www.growthhouse.org

Journey Through Suicide Grief

Having a goal that no one has to experience the pain and loss of someone to suicide alone, Journey Through Suicide Grief enables one to verbalize thoughts and emotions, connect with people who have suffered similar losses, deal with feelings of anger and/or guilt, offers suggestions for coping, talking about problems without encountering rejection and being able to help others while helping oneself.
www.journeythroughsuicidegrief.com

Grief Support Resources on the Internet

Grief-Related Web Sites

–GriefNet, a comprehensive resource
–WidowNet
–Frequently Asked Questions about Grief
–Children and Grief, an article
-Coping with Grief and Loss: Guide to Grieving and Bereavement
–Growth House’s grief and bereavement page

Grief Support Groups

-GriefShare, Find a Group
http://www.griefshare.org/findagroup/
-GriefNet, E-mail Support Groups
http://www.griefnet.org/support/sg2.html
-Pen Parents, which matches bereaved parents in similar situations for correspondence http://penparents.org/
http://www.icfa.org/weblinks.htm#grief

Airline policies in the case of an emergency or death

Booking a flight in the wake of an emergency or loved one’s death is overwhelming, and oftentimes done in a haze of grief.

To assist mourning passengers, airlines for years have offered bereavement fare discounts, but more recently have phased them out. Several airlines still offer bereavement fares, also known as compassion fares, but policies and potential savings vary significantly.

Bereavement fares are typically open to immediate family members only. Passengers who qualify must provide both proof of kinship and proof of death or imminent death, oftentimes including the deceased person’s name, plus the name and phone number of a hospital, hospice or funeral home.

Although airlines’ bereavement fares are discounted, they usually apply to unrestricted, full-fare ticket prices. Discount carriers that offer low-cost fares typically don’t offer bereavement discounts. While the savings may sound like a steal compared to full-price fares, the costs can add up.

Fortunately, official bereavement fares aren’t the only choice, and the price savings can be significant. Two especially good alternatives are last-minute flight specials and package deals. While not an obvious choice, package deals with hotels and rental cars included can be a good choice, especially for passengers flying far from home.

Steps for finding affordable fares:

-Find out if your airline has bereavement or emergency fare policies by calling or checking their websites. Do this for two or three airlines, and compare prices.
-See online if airlines have any web-only special fares, or time-sensitive deals.
-Check out last-minute fares, as they can sometimes be cheaper.
-Consider package deals that include hotel and a rental car; particularly if you’re not staying with relatives and need your own transportation, packages are sometimes more economical and even cheaper than discounted bereavement flights.

These options, depending on your needs, may be more suitable than bereavement fares:

-For travel to large domestic airports, the best rates are found on comparison sites.
-For domestic routes between smaller airports, low-cost carriers offer good deals, but last-minute fares are often cheaper.
-For those traveling to international destinations, packages are the most economical – the airfare savings can offset the cost of a hotel.
Finding yourself suddenly needing to find a flight to due to the death of a loved one or a family emergency is never pleasant, but these tips should help save time and energy, allowing you to focus on the real reasons for your travels.

Original Reference from: Bereavement-Fares

Dealing with Grief – There is Life After Death

1. SHOCK & DENIAL
When losing a loved one, you may be overwhelmed with grief. This may result in a feeling of doubt and refusal to acknowledge what has happened. Shock can put you into a dazed state of disbelief that helps one cope with the pain of death. It may take several week’s for the shock to wear off and reality to submerge.

–The Phrases of Grief: While there is no right way to grieve, it’s helpful to learn about the human grieving process when dealing with suicide.
–The Stages of Grief: Learn about the five stages of grief, starting with that of shock, denial, and isolation.
–Grieving: Find information on facing illness, death, and other losses through grieving.
–Denial: Learn to cope with this unconscious coping mechanism that helps you to avoid distressing problems, such as death.
–Feelings and Symptoms: Experience the various symptoms and emotions involved in the grieving process.

2. PAIN & GUILT
As the realization at what has happened becomes clear, you may begin to feel angry, abandoned, and absorb a strong sense of pain. Although the pain may become insufferable, it’s important to work through the pain and not bury it behind drugs or alcohol, or keep it all inside. Guilt and remorse may also be among the strong emotional difficulties you are experiencing. Suppressing this guilt will only do more harm then good.

–Coping with Grief and Loss: Find information and the symptoms of grieving, as well as myths and facts.
–Death and Grief: Information for kids and teens on how to deal with the death of a loved one.
–Guilt Following Traumatic Events: Learn about this common response to a traumatic experience.
–Anger and Guilt: Tips on how to deal with anger and guilt after a death due to suicide.
–A Guide to Grief: Find information on the various aspects of grieving, including bereavement, mourning, anger, and guilt.

3. ANGER & BARGAINING
During this chaotic time, you will have mixed emotions over what has happened. Anger is a common way to relieve these feelings that you have bottled up inside. You may direct this anger at God, the doctors and nurses, or even yourself. To feel more in control of this situation, you may bargain for the life you have lost.

–After Death: Read through the steps associated with dealing with death and coping with pain.
–5 Steps of Grief: Learn about the 5 steps of grief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
–Kubler-Ross’s Stages: Find information on the bargaining stage and how to move past it.
–Coping with Death: Go through the stages of coping with the death of a loved one.
–The Impact of a Loss: Learn about the grieving process and find information on the fear of death.

4. “DEPRESSION”, REFLECTION, LONELINESS
Once you have worked past denial and anger, your life may be getting back on track but a span of depression may set in. You may play memories again and again in your head to simply reflect on your loss. Encouragement should always be welcomed during this time, but it’s important to work through this normal stage of grief in your own time. As you finally realize the magnitude of your loss, depression and loneliness may seep in, leaving you with feelings of despair and emptiness.

–The First Year after Death: Study about how one copes with depression the first year after the death of a spouse.
–Loss of a Child: Learn about depression and how to cope after the loss of a child.
–Help Yourself and Others: Tips on how to help a child, adult friend, or family member deal with a death.
–Reflections After a Death: List of thoughts and considerations that help you to work through the grieving process.
–Death and Loneliness: Here you will find a story and information dealing with loneliness after death.

5. THE UPWARD TURN
At one time you may have thought that your life was never going to get better. However, over time, you will adjust to living without your loved one in your life. You will find a calm balance between remembering the good times with your loved one, but appreciating the living and what you still have in your life. The physical and emotional symptoms of your depression will begin to fade, raising your spirits.

–Dealing with Death: Help your child handle a death in the family with these tips and experiences.
–Coping with Death and Grief: Understand the grieving process and help loved ones grieve.
–Grief and Death: Article about behavioral characteristics that we face when dealing with death.
–Death and Loss: Here you will find parental tips to help children deal with the grief caused by a loss.
–Dealing with Death in the NICU: Learn about the loss of an infant and the steps to take once the grieving has surpassed.

6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH
As time passes by, you will work out realistic solutions to problems that you would had previously sought help with from your loved one. You will begin to manage both financial and practical issues by yourself with a steady and goal-oriented mindset. By dealing with the loss, you have only become stronger and are ready to rebuild your life without your loved one in it.

–Life After Death: The Spiritual Science Research Foundation talks about life after death.
–Renewing Your Life: Find information on how to renew your life after the death of a loved one.
–Moving Forward: After a devastating loss, find support groups and information on how to get past the struggle.
–Coping Video: Here you will find a video on getting over the death of a loved one.
–Life After a Lost: Learn about the different types of losses and how to deal with each one in your own way.

7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE
With this final stage, you are ready to live your life and accept the loss that you have endured. While acceptance does not mean that you are happy, or that you have forgotten about your loved one, but rather that you fight your way forward to live a fulfilling life on your own. You will start to look forward to the future and plan for holidays and events. With this new found appreciation for life, you can find the joy in living and use it to the fullest.

–Financial Affairs After Death: Understand the business aspects that one may have to deal with after the death of a loved one.
–Making Peace: Learn about the importance of making peace with a loved one’s imminent death.
–The Loss of a Loved One: Here you will find a touching story and information on accepting the loss of a loved one.
–Dealing with a Death: Enlighten yourself with these key principals to remember when coping with a death.
–Surviving the Deaf of a Loved One: Learn about how each person goes through the 7 stages of grief in their own way.