Bereavement Grief and Loss Resources

If you need help now:

• Grief Australia – 1800 642 066.
• Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636 (available 24 hours a day).
• Carer Gateway Australia at Freecall 1800 422 737. They can direct you to local supports and services, including counselling services.
• Griefline Helpline – 1300 845 745 (8am – 8pm 7 days a week)
• Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800 (available 24 hours a day for young people aged 5 to 25).
• Lifeline – 13 11 14 (available 24 hours a day).
• Parentline – 1300 301 300.

Grief and sadness

• Grief Australia has Information Sheets about understanding grief, including grief in children, and information on how to be a compassionate employer.
• The GriefLink Website has information for specific groups including:
  • The grief of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Australia’s First Peoples
  • Grief reactions in different cultures
  • Grief in HIV/AIDS related death
  • Grief reactions associated with the death of an LGBTIQ+ partner
  • Unrecognised or hidden grief
  • Grief after death in the workplace.
• Family practice Australia has a booklet for people with intellectual disability on Being a Healthy Woman including a chapter on Grief and loss (222kb pdf).
• The TEL website has resources to help you talk about death and loss with someone with an intellectual disability.
• The NHS inform website (UK) has information on coping with grief.
• Cancer Council NSW: How you might feel, How long will grief last and How to help someone who is grieving.
• From the Australian Government Carer Gateway: Death and grieving.
• The Cancer Council NSW has information on Anticipatory Grief and on Understanding Grief.
• The ReachOut website has information on Common reactions to death and Working through grief.
• Some groups describe the phases of grief that many people go through and strategies that can help manage grief and grieving. HelpGuide and Tobin Brothers have useful resources in this area.
• The Canadian Virtual Hospice has information on Grief and loss.
• Palliative Care Australia has produced a helpful booklet called Understanding grief.
• The Gippsland Region Palliative Care Consortium (GRPCC) has ten grief and bereavement booklets that can be read or downloaded.
• The Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief website (UK) has a leaflet on What to do if someone you know has been bereaved (3.23MB pdf) and How to help someone close to you who has been bereaved (1.05MB pdf).
• The Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief website (UK) has a video 20 takes on death and dying.
• Healthdirect has information on Grief before death – understanding anticipatory grief.

Relationship loss

• Dementia Australia has a discussion paper on Relationships and Dementia (861kb pdf).
• Griefline has information on Relationship loss.
• CarerHelp has a fact sheet on information on Relationships and children.
• Healthtalk has a series of videos from carers on their changing roles and relationships.

Loss of a child

• Grief Australia has a resource: After the Loss of a Child: A resource for parents of children in palliative care.
• The Carers Australia website will have links to your State or Territory carers association.
• Paediatric Palliative Care has a booklet for families A Family Companion.
• The Compassionate Friends(SA) website has information on Understanding Grief When A Child Dies (520kb pdf).
• Red Nose Grief and Loss has information on bereavement support and a booklet on Choices in Arranging a Child’s Funeral (759kb pdf).

Children and grief and loss

• Grief Australia has Information Sheets about understanding grief, including grief in children.
• The Raising Children Network website has information on Helping children cope.
• Carers Australia has a website for Young carers.
• From Red Nose Grief and Loss a booklet on Choices in arranging a child’s funeral (759kb pdf) (includes information on children attending and participating in funerals).
• CareSearch has a list of Books to help kids understand death and grief – Australian (2.48MB pdf) and International Award-Winning Children’s Books and Resources on Death and Dying (1.06MB pdf).
• The ReachOut website has information for teenagers about grief and loss.
• Canteen is an Australian organisation for young people aged 12-25 who are impacted by cancer. This includes people who are dealing with the death of a loved one. Canteen offers a wide range of camps and programs.
• The Compassionate Friends Victoria website has resources to support siblings after a child dies.
• The Cancer Council NSW has information on The bereaved school community, including when a student’s sibling dies.
• The Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network at the Australian National University has community information and resources that can help.
• Paediatric Palliative Care Australia has a resource called A Family Companion which is designed for parents and carers of babies, children and young people with a life-limiting condition or illness.
• CRUSE Bereavement Support (UK) has information about children and young people and funerals.
• The Marie Curie (UK) website has information ‘About grief’ and on ‘Supporting grieving children’.
• Lionheart Camp for Kids is a non-profit organisation that seeks to empower bereaved children and their families. They offer programs in WA and resources for children who are grieving.

Remembering

• Grief Australia’s factsheet: Grief, Anniversaries and Significant Events.
• Palliative Care Australia resource: Tips for Managing Grief During the Holiday Season (312kb pdf).
• The Cancer Council NSW has information on The bereaved school community including Planning a Memorial, Anticipatory grief and a blog post on Coping with cancer over the festive season.
• CareSearch Palliative Perspectives Blog on contemplating the last Christmas together.