I follow community bereaved much the same way as Deborah, by keeping a separate notebook with simple documentation, mostly so I can track risk of complicated grief and any referrals I may have made. If it is low risk, (and I do use our assessment) I visit them 1-5 times, but usually they are fine after the first visit. I remain available to them. If they have been patients of our hospital, which is our over-arching agency, I also put them on our mailing list for mailings at 1,3,6,9, 11, and 13 months.
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Patty O'Shea, M.Ed, LSW, Bereavement Counselor
University Hospitals Hospice
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-24-2018 11:04
From: Deborah Lambo
Subject: Community Bereaved
I keep a folder which logs all community contacts. I developed a simple form which shows Telephone calls, visits, and miscellaneous (i.e., emails). Usually we offer up to 5 visits (from 1:1 to family), and of course the person can always attend bereavement group (which I keep records separately for). I usually include a very brief narrative and amount of time on the form. That way all the community (non-hospice related) contacts and bereavement interventions are trackable.
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Deb Lambo, MA LMHC
Heart of Hospice
Hood River, OR 97031
Original Message:
Sent: 07-23-2018 20:02
From: Robin Fiorelli
Subject: Community Bereaved
Hi everyone
I am curious how you handle non hospice referrals for bereavement- from mourners in the community. Specifically, what is your follow up with them, how do you document and how long do you follow them?
Thanks in advance,
Robin Fiorelli
Sr. Director Bereavement and Volunteers
VITAS Healthcare
Cell 858-761-1298