A story we shared about the Sacred Heart Biography Service is very popular. Now we’re excited a TV program has been made about the service. Writers from the team help people who are dying to put their life into a story, something that can have a really powerful impact. Sometimes … Read more
When my friend Angela’s mother died, the nursing home handled its communication around this very badly. This, despite a lot of rhetoric about caring. But her’s is just one of many similar stories I’ve listened to, about death badly handled in a range of settings, in our culture today. Yes, … Read more
Picaluna Funerals does things differently and Good Grief! loves this. It’s great when you get to talk with others in the ‘death’ space working to improve our culture’s approach. Last month I was invited by Picaluna CEO Greg Inglis to speak to 22 Picaluna inductee funeral celebrants about Good Grief! … Read more
It’s Anzac Day and today, like all Australians, I woke to the sound of a march somewhere. We hear the bugle call of the Last Post early at my place, as it wafts up from a local park and then the sonic boom of the flypast plays with our ears … Read more
In our family today we celebrate a new life once again. And I am reminded of Rabbi Alvin Fine – yes, again. You can’t reach the age I am now without feeling birth and death’s endless yet uplifting cycle. What joys await my latest grandchild? What sorrows? I don’t wish … Read more
We have the impression we’re ‘not allowed’ to care for someone who’s dying at home. But why? Hands on home palliative care worker, Kellie Cooper-Smith challenges this and talks through the practical issues in her article below. Kellie and I have also created a set of practical videos about caring … Read more
Our friend Claudia, an Anglican, pressed this little card with the words “It Is Finished” into my husband’s hand this morning at the coffee shop. Today, Good Friday, is one of the most significant days in the Christian calendar. “It is finished” were the last words Jesus uttered. They were … Read more
It’s been two years since the first Covid-19 restrictions were announced in Australia and nowhere felt it harder than Melbourne, which faced the longest lockdowns globally. Melbourne’s experience has been unique in Australia and Melbournians are wanting to share what they have endured, and the losses needing to be grieved. … Read more
The Australian Federal Election was officially called today and last week HammondCare’s CEO Mike Baird issued a challenge to the Federal Government to match Labor’s pledge to improve aged care workforce wages. HammondCare provides aged care in Australia. Mike Baird is the former Liberal Premier of NSW. Mike’s involvement keeps … Read more
by Olivia Loukas Legacy writing – also known as biography or life writing – is a way of documenting someone’s life story, in their own words, before they die. It can take various forms and is, by its nature, a deeply personal and spiritual process. Our article about the legacy … Read more
Grief is a mentor to successful surgeon and author Dr Richard A Harris, who lost his wife, Tine, to breast cancer two years ago. He’s a man who’s learnt to manage grief but there are other aspects to his life as well. He is a successful vascular surgeon, and has … Read more
Free legal advice for pensioners is given by the NSW Trustee And Guardian. NSW Trustee and Guardian is a state government agency that provides a full range of Wills and Estate Planning services for the community. The preparation of Estate Planning documents such as Will, Power of attorney and Enduring … Read more
Here’s some good news for Australians! Australia comes fourth in a ranking of end-of-life care, in a new assessment and comparison of 81 countries by The Lien Centre for Palliative Care at Duke-NUS Medical School. The report, Cross Country Comparison of Expert Assessments of the Quality of Death and Dying … Read more
After three decades working at Wollongong City Council’s memorial gardens and cemeteries, Operations Manager John Chilby has told the Illawarra Mercury he’s lost count of the times he’s seen families broken by misunderstandings when someone dies. “It causes more grief and break-ups between families, so we want to try and … Read more
At a time when more lives are being turned upside down, and as we look towards how to respond, it’s important to understand: what is the difference between grief and trauma? In the last few weeks our screens have been bombarded with news of floods, war and the continuation of … Read more