National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Offers Five Tips to Support Those Who've Lost a Loved One in Service to our Country

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- There is greater significance to Memorial Day (May 30) than the start of the summer season. Memorial Day is a time to publicly show our respect for those who have lost their lives in defense of our country and to offer support to grieving loved ones. 

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As we mark Memorial Day this year, we are a country involved in conflicts abroad. The ongoing fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan continues to take a toll on our nation. Serious injuries and the untimely deaths of our brave service men and women remind us that life is precious.

Hospice and palliative care professionals – who help families cope with loss on a daily basis – share ideas on how to honor this sacrifice on Memorial Day and every day:

1. Acknowledge the day with a phone call or card to the family; tell a story you remember about the service member who has died and/or ask the family to share a story. Keeping their loved one's memory alive is an important part of healthy grief and coping.
2. Offer to accompany or take the grieving person to the cemetery or other place of remembrance; people are sometimes reluctant to take advantage of such opportunities alone and will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
3. Make a donation in memory of the person who has died to a charity that was important to the service member or the family; this can be a powerful reminder to them that you remember and that you care.
4. Listen.  Sometimes the greatest gift we can give is to listen to what others think and feel. Supporting those who are grieving can be as simple as lending an ear or holding a hand.
5. Acknowledge your own feelings; share the range of thoughts and emotions you experience with someone you trust, but not necessarily with the grieving family. Whether it is pride or shame, grief or hope, sharing these feelings is important.

Your community hospice can be a source of information on grief and bereavement. Caring Connections, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, also offers information on grief at www.caringinfo.org or by calling the HelpLine at 1-800-658-8898.

Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO, Vice President of Communications
703-837-3139
[email protected]

SOURCE National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization