Claire Henry and Rev Dr Andrew Goodhead
A publication for end of life care providers is aiming to help people remember a loved one who has died and find meaning in their bereavement.
‘Helping people to remember’ is a ‘how to’ booklet, encouraging hospices, care homes and health service providers to think about creative ways to support bereaved people to remember those who have died.
The booklet is the result of research by the Rev Dr Andrew Goodhead, Spiritual Care Lead at St Christopher’s Hospice in south London. Andrew’s study was part of a larger research project at the University of Hull: Remember Me, The Changing Face of Memorialisation.
The study explored how societies have remembered those who have died; in the past and contemporaneously. The project aimed to inform current thinking around how organisations, families and individuals can engage in different ways to remember relatives and friends who have died.
The booklet contains ideas for the organisations to remember those who have died under their care, through holding memorial services and creating memory books.
It covers details such as suggestions for the location, readings and music of a memorial service, and the best format for a memory book.
Andrew Goodhead said:
“This booklet is a resource for organisations to think creatively about what they can do to support bereaved people. Bereavement does not go away. Allowing men and women to express their feelings and thoughts in bereavement is a valuable way to recognise its impact and provide spaces to write or gather and remember.”
Claire Henry, Director of Improvement and Transformation at Hospice UK was a member of the Project Advisory Group for Remember Me. This publication is a partnership between Hospice UK, St Christopher’s Hospice and the University of Hull.
To download the booklet visit Hospice UK: What we offer – Publications
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