Learning that you have a life limiting illness is one of life’s biggest challenges. Your world can be turned upside down as you are faced with navigating a changed world. Your family and significant other’s world is changed too.
The Metro North Grief and Bereavement Service is here to support you to navigate this changed world. We can be there for you and your family / significant others when you are first referred to the palliative care service and we can be there for them in the longer term.
The goal of our service is to help you and your family / significant others to focus on what matters most and to continue to live meaningful and fulfilling lives, restore a sense of wellbeing, and to facilitate the process of accepting and adapting to the reality of your situation. We provide education, guidance, and psychosocial support.
We also work with individuals and families to identify those who might be particularly vulnerable to prolonged grief and bereavement responses, and to recommend additional supports to help navigate this changed world.
Why might you access our service?
Receiving a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness can be very confronting. It can bring up a range of thoughts and feelings and it is normal to experience feelings of anticipatory or pre-loss grief.
However, if you notice the following it may be helpful to talk to someone:
- your thoughts and feelings are becoming too distressing and overwhelming, and they are interfering with your ability to function and manage your day-to-day life demands
- your responses are impacting upon your ability to engage with treatment or your ability to adjust to your illness
- your family is having trouble adjusting to your illness and/or there are unresolved relationship issues between you and members of your family
- you have an existing mental health condition that is worsening because of your changed world.
How can we help?
- Individual Assessment & Grief Support
- Group Support (education, coping skills & mutual
- Family Focused Assessment & Grief Support
- Information about what to expect.
- Linkages with supports
How to refer
To access the Metro North Grief and Bereavement Service, call 07 3049 5733.