Kokua Mau

Grief and Bereavement

The Bereavement Network of Hawai‘i offers many resources available for support and information about grief and bereavement.

For a list of support groups, agencies, individuals, and hospices, please view the document for Hawaii compiled by the Bereavement Network of Hawaii:

Please be sure to call or email first before attending any of the listed support groups. Times and date might change.

Dealing with GRIEF: A Series of 5 Short, Powerful Videos

To help address complex trauma, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) has teamed up with the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network (SWHPN), the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) to bring you complimentary innovative resources on grief education.

Dealing with GRIEF: A Series of 5 Short, Powerful Videos aims to provide timely and practical information to help you care for the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs of your patients and their families.

Each video is 2-5 minutes in length and includes a downloadable resource guide which are provided below. The videos are complimentary and can be accessed via the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association’s YouTube channel.

Resources for Grief and Bereavement during the Holidays

This time of year is especially difficult for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For many there is not a “Happy Holidays”, “Happy Thanksgiving”, “Merry Christmas”, or a “Happy Hanukkah”. Often there is sadness, wanting to be alone, and to be separate from others who don’t understand our grief. There is often a void and deep longing for those who have died or who we have lost to an illness such as dementia. The feelings that arise are sometimes complex and unpredictable and at the same time uniquely our own. One certainly does not want to “celebrate” the holidays without their loved one. Things just aren’t the same anymore. You are not alone. Others are also experiencing grief and loss. Please join us as we explore some helpful coping tools. We are glad to have you.

31 things that you can do each day in December from Felicia Marquez-Wong.  Her article “Be Prepared and At Ease for the Holidays” was published in Generations Magazine 2023 Nov/December. Please click through to page 18.

“Holidays Without Loved Ones” by Alan Gamble. Generations Magazine 2024 Nov/December Issue. Please click through to page 18.

Dealing With Grief During the Holiday Season from AARP. Try these 9 things to help you get through this difficult time.

Working Through Grief During the Holidays from Psychology Today

Resources for Grief and Bereavement

Navigating Loss: The Healing Power of Rituals PDF by Navian Hawaii

That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief, by Scott Berinato
March 23, 2020, Harvard Business review. They turned to David Kessler, an expert on grief, for ideas on how to do that.

Center for Loss & Life Transition Alan Wolfelt, from the Center for Loss and Life Transition, offers articles on grief and loss and coping. He is another noted author, educator and grief counselor.

grief.com David Kessler world-reknown grief specialist, website links to Tender Hearts, a Community of Courageous Grievers, which offers a Zoom grief check-in. David Kessler support group recordings are available on Facebook.

whatsyourgrief.com – offers a forum to share your grief photo, grief recipe, grief in six words. They offer a grief journaling course as well as articles on grief related to different kinds of loss.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Grieving the loss of a pet by Alan Gamble, DCSW, LCSW and the Bereavement Network of Hawaii. Generations Magazine, March – April 2024. If you had a beloved pet as a child, you may have been overwhelmed with feelings of sadness and grief after he or she passed away. For many of us, this was our first experience with death. And as we age, we will most likely experience additional losses of our furry friends. Each and every time is sad and difficult.

Grief and Bereavement During the Final Stages of Illness was in the past available as an online pamphlet. Produced by Florence Long with funding from the Kitagawa Family, this information is designed specifically for terminally ill individuals and their loved ones to prepare for the eventuality of death.

In addition, the pamphlet will help in organizing personal affairs and learning about the process of grieving and dying to help ease any fears and enhance the ability to cope.

  • Help For The Bereaved – The Healing Journey – Booklet Nr. 5 might be of help as well. Learn about the common expressions of grief, the healing process, and when to get help. The set of five booklets was developed by the Center on Aging at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa.
  • Please see the webinar for workshops or current (virtual) events
  • Please check our webpage Palliative Care Resources for Hawaiʻi compiled by Kōkua Mau for additional resources the might be helpful

The Bereavement Network of Hawaii – What is it?

The Bereavement Network of Hawaii’s Sara-May Colon and Pat Nishimoto present resources available for professionals and the public. Several of the wonderful, local organizations that support our community are showcased. 

Presenters: Dr. Pat Nishimoto, Oncology Nurse Specialist at Tripler Army Medical Center for many decades recently (kinda) retired. Sara-May J. Colón, Director Mission & Spiritual Care Adventist Health Castle.

Grief, Guilt and Man – Dr. Baugher speaks in Hawai’i

If you missed the September 2022 Bereavement Network of Hawaiiʻs (BNOH) quarterly training with Dr. Bob Baugher speaking about guilt and grief you can now watch the recording. 

Note: These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Kōkua Mau of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation, organization or individual. Kōkua Mau bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.