The mission of Bereavement Services is to facilitate and support healthy grieving for patients, families, and significant others before, during, and after death, and to educate and support the staff who provide their care.

"Grief is a great teacher when it sends us back to serve and bless the living." --Myrtle Abrams Zipser

Our Services

The Bereavement Services program provides a clearing house for information, resources, and support regarding grief, loss, dying, and death. Support is available in a variety of ways for patients, families, and staff through the services listed below.

Contact us at: bereavement@mc.duke.edu.

Follow-up

Duke Hospital Service of Remembrance, a special event to remember those who have been cared for at Duke University Hospital. Family and staff are invited to come. Call 919-684-4750 for more information.

See a listing of upcoming services

Remembrance Quilts

Remembrance Art Quilt

Threads of Our Lives Quilt

Grief Counseling and Support

• Duke Community Bereavement Services
• Teer House Community Education
• Grief in the Workplace
• Perinatal Loss Education and Support Class
• General Loss Grief Group
• Dialogues on Grief
• Grief materials (see below)

Education

• Professional Development (for health care providers)
• Grief in the Workplace: Helping Employees Cope with End of Life and Other Loss Issues

Consultation

Staff is available to develop, facilitate, or present training or support opportunities regarding dying, death, loss, and grief.

Conversations

A series of discussions with revolving topics centered around living and dying. Upcoming conversations include:

No events are currently planned.

Bereavement Advisory Council

The Bereavement Advisory Council is a multidisciplinary committee that works closely with the Bereavement Services Program to develop and sponsor programs for patients, families, and staff in areas of grief, loss, death, and dying.

Call 919-684-4750 for more information.

We are recruiting new members to serve three-year terms beginning in January 2009.

Download an application (PDF, 15 KB) if you are interested.

End-of-Life Care Programs

The following programs offer an overview of local, state, and national news, legislation, events, calendars, newsletters, resources, and initiatives.

• Duke Center for Palliative Care
• Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life
• The Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care
• Project Compassion

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Grief Materials

Grief is a natural reaction to loss, and each person grieves in their own unique way. The following grief materials can help you understand the grief process, and support your journey towards healing.

Adult

• Dementia: Issues of Loss and Grief - English (PDF, 57 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 57 KB)
• Helping Yourself After a Loss - English (PDF, 96 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 68 KB)
• Understanding Grief and Mourning - English (PDF, 89 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 99 KB)
• Grief in the Workplace (PDF, 93 KB)

Child

• Helping Yourself After the Loss of a Child - English (PDF, 82 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 75 KB)
• How Family and Friends Can Help - English (PDF, 54 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 38 KB)
• A Father's Grief (PDF, 88 KB)
• Healing Together - As A Couple (PDF, 81 KB)
• Single Parent's Grief (PDF, 89 KB)
• Understanding Grief and Mourning (PDF, 89 KB)

Baby

• A Father's Grief - English (PDF, 87 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 110 KB)
• Healing Together as a Couple - English (PDF, 27 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 27 KB)
• Helping Yourself After the Loss of a Baby - English (PDF, 84 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 34 KB)
• How Family and Friends Can Help - English (PDF, 55 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 25 KB)
• Single Parent Grief - English (PDF, 26K B) / Spanish (PDF, 27 KB)
• Understanding Grief and Mourning - English (PDF, 89KB) / Spanish (PDF, 27 KB)

Traumatic Loss

• Coping After a Traumatic Death - English (PDF, 67 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 76 KB)
• Coping After a Suicide - English (PDF, 66 KB) / Spanish (PDF, 72 KB)
• Coping After a Homicide (PDF, 86 KB)