After Matthew read Sandra’s Good Grief! story “Beyond casseroles: a widower’s guide to moving forward” at: https://good-grief.com.au/beyond-casseroles-a-widowers-guide-to-moving-forward/ he was inspired to get in touch. In a moment strangely resonant of Sydney’s current lockdown, in April last year he allowed us to publish his grief story. He began a period of … Read more
by Sandra Moon How do widowers cope with grief? The world as they knew it, with its well-mapped out future of anniversaries, grandchildren, shared parenthood and milestones, has gone. And when the pity, advice and casseroles stop, what then? American clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at UNC, Justin Yopp says … Read more
This is a second interview with Carolyn Vaughan Illawarra-Shoalhaven Compassionate Communities local lead. Her first interview on Dying to Know Day, appears in this month’s (July 15) Good Grief! newsletter. To sign up to the Good Grief! newsletter, go to:https://good-grief.com.au/newsletter/ “Dying to Know Day is an annual event where we encourage … Read more
It might be time to scrutinise a report by a large non-government provider of health services in Australia – now that the second wave of Covid-19 threatens, this time in NSW. Back in April the Lessons Learnt from Covid19 report was released by Catholic Health Australia, the largest non-government provider … Read more
It’s legal. You’re allowed to say ‘no’ to medical treatment. And if you’re the person responsible, you’re allowed to say no on behalf of the person you’re responsible for. But there’s still confusion about this – both in the broader community, in hospitals and nursing home. So let’s unpack it. … Read more
by Sandra Moon. ‘I feel his organs are shutting down,’ my mother said on the phone. But how? Two days before Mum had rung me to ask for help getting Dad to the emergency ward at our local hospital. I burst into tears worried that he may enter hospital and … Read more
RK, 97, lives in a nursing home. He has dementia which is progressing rapidly and he’s losing his swallow reflex. So he’s more likely to aspirate food and saliva – inhaling them into his windpipe, causing pneumonia. And this is what happened, leading to fever, one night in late May … Read more
by Sandra Moon Imagine one day your loved one doesn’t return home and as time goes by there is no conclusive evidence that they are dead. According to the Missing Persons Advocacy Network’s Missing Person’s Guide this is what occurs for around five percent of families of missing persons. Without … Read more
by Sandra Moon Writing about grief is a way to honour and remember loved ones beyond our typical cultural rituals says Karen Crofts, Director of the Hunter Writers Centre. “For people who do write about grief the writing process helps them because it makes them take the time to remember. … Read more
By Sandra Moon In Australia, according to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data, the religion with the largest affiliation is Christian with twelve million two hundred thousand people. At just about half that number, with seven million people, are those who claimed no religion at all. In fact, … Read more
“Palliative and end of life care are absolutely critical parts of aged care,” Sean Rooney, Leading Age Services Australia CEO, told Good Grief! as the Federal budget with its big investment in aged care was announced. This follows the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety The Commission reported “confronting personal stories of under-resourcing, … Read more
I went to my letterbox this week and there was a wonderful surprise. My publisher at Murdoch Books and dear friend Corinne Roberts had sent me a parcel with the note: ‘Congratulations’. When I opened the package, there was a copy of the ‘simplified Chinese’ version of my book A … Read more
We’ve noticed Amy Sagar’s ad on her linkedIn page. She’s looking for a mortician for Tender Funerals at Port Kembla. Tender Funeral’s describes itself as a “community undertaking”, if you’ll excuse the pun, and they work creatively, cost efficiently and with care. “Tender Funerals is a not-for-profit funeral service delivering personalised, … Read more
Today we’d simply like to share a lovely, very real story from by our LinkedIn connection Christine Pedley who lives at Ferntree Gully, Victoria. Christine has been an authorised marriage celebrant for 11 years. She “co-creates ceremonies that are always bespoke. I assist and offer guidance in conducting any celebration … Read more
As we’ve often said, there are other sources of grief besides death. Our Good Grief! writer Sandra Moon shares a source of grief in her life – being adopted in “a vacuum of silence”. She discusses the pain caused by forced adoption practices. Today most jurisdictions have policies of ‘open … Read more