Good Grief

Funeral etiquette isn't something that most people spend a lot of time thinking about, but the truth is that it can help grieving families have the best possible experience throughout the deep pain surrounding the death of a loved one.

In today's episode we share many of the unspoken rules surrounding the proper conduct we should have when dealing with someone that is grieving over the loss of a loved one, during a visitation or a funeral service.

Body donation is a mysterious topic for many of us, despite its essential role in saving lives, and in today's episode we'd like to change that. 

Today we'll be discussing what body donation is, the different types of body donation, what health conditions prevent us from donating our bodies, if we can choose what our body is going to be used for, etc.

Funerals without flowers... sounds weird, doesn't it? Most of us haven't been to that many funerals where flowers weren't a part of the decoration... and for good reason.

In today's episode, Shelli  Erck, from Hudson Flower Shop, joins us in a interesting discussion regarding this topic. We delve deep into the history of funeral flowers, their significance and the roles they play in funeral services, things we should consider when choosing flowers, flower keepsakes, etc.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Hudson Flower Shop's  website.

Grieving over the loss of a loved one is already an unimaginable painful experience. But to go through it during the holiday season feels even harder, for many of us.

In today's episode, Kathy Helgeson, a certified funeral celebrant at OCFH, joins us in a heartfelt discussion regarding this sensitive topic. We talk about the difference between grief and mourning, what are the "tasks" of grief, how to approach those who are grieving, how to deal with grief during the holidays, the role of faith when we're grieving, etc.

We also share some personal stories of grief and how exactly our team helps our clients overcome these difficult times.

Links:

Meet Kathy

https://oconnellfuneralhomes.com/about-us/kathleen-helgeson/

12 questions for the holidays

https://bit.ly/12_Questions_PDF

6 needs of mourning - Alan Wolfelt

https://www.funeralbasics.org/the-6-needs-of-mourning/

5-days of grief & the holidays meditation video series

https://oconnellfuneralhomes.com/holiday-grief/

Hospice Care is a sensitive topic for many of us. As with pre-arranging a funeral, talking about hospice care can make us feel very uncomfortable; some of us might feel we are "giving up" on our loved ones when we begin to consider this specific approach.

The truth is, hospice care can bring relief and even joy to our loved ones. There is a multitude of ways that we can use hospice care programs, from the location, frequency, and services used, so it makes total sense to consider it for our loved ones.

In today's episode, our guest and social worker Kate Garza, from Moments Hospice, will discuss the specifics regarding hospice care and dispel some misconceptions about the topic.

We'll also discuss some tools that we're developing at OCFH, such as 12 questions for the holidays (a free PDF that will help spark interesting and important discussions these holidays), as well as a set of Grief-focused meditations that will bring you to a better place and help you let go.

Resources:

12 questions for the holidays (free PDF):
https://oconnellfuneralhomes.com/ocfh-holiday-promo/

5-days of grief & the holidays (free meditation video series):
https://oconnellfuneralhomes.com/holiday-grief/

Moments Hospice - (763)-205-3600 

https://momentshospice.com/

Moments Hospice serves the Minnesota and Wisconsin river areas, with a team in the area with over 130 years of healthcare experience collectively including over 48 years in Hospice. Their Medical Directors in the area are Dr. Mark Stannard and Dr. Matthew Beeson of Hudson Physicians Group. The team at Moments Hospice is focused on Changing the Hospice Experience, One Moment at Time, hoping to bring joy and comfort to patients, their families and the communities they serve.

Estate planning is one of those topics that often come up as we grow older, but, contrary to what many people might think, this is something that everybody should do - not just those of us who are wealthy. No matter how big or modest your assets are - you can and you should take advantage of this strategy, even if you just have a bank account under your name.

Estate planning helps prevent future annoyances and conflicts within our family, and it's definitely something that you and your loved ones should consider doing as you grow older.

In today's episode, our guest and elder law attorney, Dr. Amy K. Greske, will discuss several estate planning tools that we have at our disposal and why we might need to set them up, such as wills, trust funds, power of attorney documents, etc.

Resources:

Dr. Amy's phone number: 715-808-0610
Dr. Amy's website: https://oneillelderlaw.com/

Suicide deaths define complicated grief. The stigma surrounding suicide and the complex feelings of guilt, shame, and anger that many grievers experience when a loved one kills themselves, makes it that much harder to go through the grieving process.

In today's episode, we discuss what research says about suicide and the motivations of those who attempt suicide, and we also share tips on how we can approach the grievers that are left behind after a loved one takes their own life.

Resources:

OCFH: 715-386-3725
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Different types of loss and grief children and adolescents may experience and how we can help guide them.

Joining us, we have our friend and colleague, grief therapist Kelly Grosklags, who will be sharing several tips to help us guide our children throughout these painful times.

Resources:

Kelly's website - https://bit.ly/Kelly_Grosklags
Brighter Days Grief Center - https://bit.ly/Brighter_Days_Center

Meet Finnegan, our new grief therapy dog. Learn how he helps in processing grief, and healing in today's podcast.

Learn more on our website. 

You can’t push pause on grief.

COVID-19 has brought much distress to families all over the country and changed our daily lives tremendously. In these trying times, it's much harder to deal with the already stressful situations that affect us all, such as grieving the loss of a loved one.

In today's podcast episode, we talk about how we can deal with grief in these COVID-19 times and how our company is adapting our procedures to help everyone stay safe.

We'll also be sharing useful tips from our friend and colleague, grief therapist, Kelly Grosklags.  

bit.ly/Grief_covid19

Facebook: @CWKHeals