In partnership with professionals in the community, we believe that all grieving individuals need to have access to a program of well-developed support and resources. Indiana Donor Network and the Aftercare Support Services team hopes that by sharing the below materials, we can grow the field of expert care for those who have experienced grief and loss.

Grief Support Programming Ideas

Remembrance keepsakes are one way to honor the person who has died by creating a link through keepsakes which can provide comfort and healing. Providing opportunities for final memory making could include hand or finger prints, a memory box, written letters or poems, drawings, jewelry or other crafts.

By personalizing a moment of silence, the family has an opportunity to share what makes their loved one unique and special. Family support staff can prompt this activity as something written or read aloud, which can be done at bedside and provide meaning.

The grief journey cards feature various topics such as loss, hope, comfort, strength and legacy that are pertinent to grief support and are designed to quickly and easily provide information that someone could explore further when they are ready.

By offering varying levels of support, professionals and organizations that care for families are able to give grieving families the opportunity to choose the support that best fits their needs. For example, Indiana Donor Network asks families if they would like to opt in for six months, one year or two years.

A children’s support journey can provide ongoing resources for children and adults. Created to support children of all ages, Children’s Support Journey offered by Indiana Donor Network allows them to have the opportunity to remember their loved ones and learn as they grieve and grow. Additionally, the adults in the lives of these children receive resources and tools to help in their care and support.

Companioning means to walk alongside someone as they are grieving, allowing them to be the expert of their own journey. Companioning sessions could be offered to grievers in 1:1 sessions where participants are encouraged to share about their grief at their own pace. 

Grief support groups can be offered online or in person. Each session features grief journey education and opportunities to share. In connecting with others who are also walking a grief journey, healing and bonding can begin to form.

Example Grief Group Session Topics:

  • How Grief Works & Building my Toolbox
  • Misconceptions Surrounding Grief
  • Finding Hope in Grief
  • Loving Yourself While in Grief
  • Searching for Meaning & Unique Grief
  • Relationships After Loss
  • Hello Before Goodbye: Dr. Wolfelt’s Paradoxes of Mourning
  • Darkness Before Light: Dr. Wolfelt’s Paradoxes of Mourning
  • Backward Before Forward: Dr. Wolfelt’s Paradoxes of Mourning
  • Holidays


Many grievers share that it is helpful and healing to talk to a fellow grieving family member to connect with someone who has gone through the similar experience of losing a loved one. The peer support companion program connects newly grieving family members with donor family volunteers who are trained to provide support and comfort as a peer support companion.

A private Facebook group provides a way for grieving friends and families to connect with and support one another along their grief journey. The group should be moderated during weekday business hours by an aftercare staff member. However, members can participate 24/7, provided they have agreed to the page code of conduct.

Events for grieving families to honor and remember their loved ones offers an important step in their journeys. Having different types of events allows for options that fit the diverse makeup of families. Consider events that are more casual for connecting, more formal for programmed celebrations and remembrance, or activities for memory-making, such as craft workshops.

Offering volunteer opportunities can provide families with a sense of hope and healing after a loved one dies. Volunteers can support task-based efforts and/or advocacy-based efforts, such as assisting with special projects, outreach to other families, sharing stories through speaking opportunities and volunteering at community events.

 

No One Dies Alone (NODA) is a national initiative within the healthcare industry that aims to have a trained, dedicated support person hold a patient’s hand and sit with them while they die if a loved one is unable. This provides family members with the comfort of knowing that their loved one will not die alone and that someone will be by their side. Many hospitals and hospices have implemented NODA programs, often with volunteers. Learn more from the Johns Hopkins Medical Center NODA orientation guide.

Training Offered by Indiana Donor Network

If you are interested in learning more about grief education, a member of the aftercare team at Indiana Donor Network can present or facilitate training for your organization. Email Aftercare@INDonorNetwork.org to learn more about any of the topics below.

  • Understanding Grief Training
  • How Grief Works & Building my Toolbox
  • Misconceptions Surrounding Grief
  • Finding Hope in Grief
  • Loving Yourself while in Grief
  • Searching for Meaning & Unique Grief
  • Relationships after Loss
  • Hello Before Goodbye: Dr. Wolfelt’s Paradoxes of Mourning
  • Darkness before Light: Dr. Wolfelt’s Paradoxes of Mourning
  • Backward before Forward: Dr. Wolfelt’s Paradoxes of Mourning
  • Moving through the Holidays while in Grief
  • How to Train Volunteers for Peer Support Companioning (Recorded, 3 Part Series outlined below)
    • Aftercare Journey
    • Understanding Grief
    • Companioning the Mourner
  • Business Planning Presentation
    • Aftercare Then & Now
    • Donor Families Cared for Annually
    • Donor Family Needs
    • Donor Family Survey Responses
    • Next-of-Kin Geo Map
    • Budgeting
    • Team Collaboration
  • Research and Planning Group Best Practices Presentation
    • In-House Organ Donor Visitation
    • Pre & Post Recovery Memorials
    • Next-of-Kin Annual Number Trends
    • Next-of-Kin Geo Map & Benefits
    • Aftercare Journey Program
    • Children’s Support Journey, featuring Donor Hero Camp

 

Annual Indiana Donor Network Hosted Grief Support Workshop information