Family & Friends

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association estimates that each death affects the immediate well-being of an average of five other people – disrupting their lives, affecting their income and causing grief and other psychological issues, including depression and anxiety.

What influences you?

The responses to loss are never orderly and entirely predictable and they are influenced by the following:

  • Age
  • Current health situation
  • Relationship with the person who has died
  • Concurrent losses
  • Life experience
  • Personality
  • Support systems
  • Ability to communicate feelings
  • Cultural background and upbringing
  • Spiritual and religious belief

Getting the support you need

In addition to helping those who are living with a terminal or life limiting illness, AHS provides programs to comfort children, teens and adults on their very personal journey of grief and loss. Services offered by specially trained volunteers and team members include one-to-one companioning, support groups, individual and family counselling, expressive therapies, music and play for bereaved children and equine facilitated grief support for teens. Additionally, AHS offers a comprehensive lending library designed to support patients and families, along with public education, outreach and community referrals.

We Value Diversity

Delivering on the commitment to help people who are dying and to support families means maintaining a culture of acceptance, compassion and respect. AHS honours all religions, cultural values and spiritual belief systems and adheres to a strict code of confidentiality. Life should be lived fully until death and AHS has been supporting the people of Abbotsford in their process of life since 1986.

Free Services for Adults, Teens, Children and Families.

One-to-One Support

Volunteer Companions

Trained Abbotsford Hospice Society (AHS) volunteers provide one to one companioning support for grieving clients in a variety of settings such as our Resource and Support Centre, in schools, workplace, institutions and in the community.

Counselling

In some circumstances, AHS may offer counselling to children, teens, adults, couples and families whose grief is more complex. Complex grief issues may include, violent or traumatic death, suicide, multiple deaths or psycho-social and familial matters that compound the grieving process.

Additional services

Play therapies for children

Grief support groups for adults, teens and children

Facilitated age appropriate peer support groups run at various times throughout the year at AHS, in the workplace, schools or facilities for adults, children and teens who have experienced the death of someone significant.

Children’s Grief Support Group

An 8 week grief support group for children ages 5-12 who have experienced the death of a family member, sibling or friend.

Perinatal Loss Support Group

Facilitated by a registered counsellor, the Abbotsford Hospice Society Perinatal Loss Support Group is for parents who have lost an infant to miscarriage, stillbirth or within the first year of life.

Support for Abbotsford students in their schools

Trained staff will facilitate groups, support school staff and administrators, provide one to one support and resources to students.

Memorial services

Held twice a year at AHS for family and friends who have lost a loved one on the Fraser Health Palliative Programs.

Bereavement Services are free of charge however you must register.

To register for a group or one-to-one bereavement support, please contact Maryanne Balzer - Bereavement Services Manager

T: 604.852.2456
E: Maryanne@abbotsfordhospice.org

Include on this page:
Information on current support groups
Suggested reading