Part 4 of our Grief Series with Gabby Jimenez of The Hospice Heart features bereavement social worker Isabel Stenzel, with a focus on grief in children and young adults.  Younger people navigate grief differently.  As hospice and bereavement professionals, it’s important to remember to respect the instinct and wishes of the parents. There are numerous ways children can be connected to someone who’s dying - writing letters and cards or drawing pictures.  If we’re old enough to love, we’re old enough to grieve.  A time of loss is an opportunity to teach a child how to navigate a grief journey.  It’s important to prepare the child for what the child might see, like changes in body appearance or abilities to communicate.  Explanations about death should be provided according to the developmental level of the child.  Adults instinctively try to shield kids from experiences with death and dying, but kids can develop healthy coping mechanisms if appropriately involved in the death of a loved one.  How adults cope with grief greatly influence how a child grieves, so it’s vital for adults to care for themselves and get the grief support they need.  Using creative activities to create meaning and providing support that’s age appropriate can enable a child to navigate a loss in a healthy way.   

Resources for grieving children include:

National Alliance for Children’s Grief - childrengrieve.org

The Dougy Center - dougy.org

Sesame Street YouTube videos

Connect with Gabby Jimenez and The Hospice Heart at thehospiceheart.net. 

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to [email protected].  We’d love to hear from you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at [email protected].

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at [email protected].

Send your questions and comments to [email protected].  We’d love to hear from you!