Because your role as a caregiver does not end overnight

Death is a part of life that no one can avoid, which means that bereavement awaits at the very end of the caregiving journey. If you have been a caregiver for a long time, you have probably experienced multiple losses over the course of your loved one’s illness. This may have led you to experience anticipatory grief, or expecting the loss of your loved one.

Whether you were prepared for it or not, dealing with the loss of the person of whom you took care is usually a painful phase. At the community Wellness Center, we believe that you should be able to access services during this difficult time. Here is a list of services available for English-speaking bereaved caregivers at the Wellness Centre.

Personalized support
– Reference to the appropriate English-speaking resource.
– Art care packages for grieving caregivers.

Support group sessions
– Grief recovery method : A 6-session closed group with a certified animator.

Documentation
– Coping tools in English from our community partner, Deuil-jeunesse.

– Ten Golden Rules for Getting Through Christmas While Grieving
– Christmas Without You (Advent calendar for the bereaved): A meaningful gesture to make each day before Christmas. Available in English.

– Books on this topic in our Lending Library: Check out our catalog to see the latest additions.

Other local resources

• Albatros Capitale-Nationale accompanies people in palliative care, as well as their loved ones and the bereaved in the Greater Québec City region. They are the caring presence and comforting support you may need during the very significant period of the last months or weeks of life. They offer free psychosocial support to caregivers and the bereaved, as well as a volunteer respite service that ensures a presence with the person at the end of life. All of these services can be offered in the home or in any other living environment, over the phone, online, in a park or a café, depending on the needs. Contact Anaïs, Caregivers’ Circle Coordinator, to explore the possibility of receiving services in English from Albatros in our region.
• Deuil-jeunesse is a charitable and professional intervention organization that assists people who are experiencing serious illness, loss or death of a loved one. Their mission is to promote the well-being of children and adults experiencing loss or bereavement through a personalised and universal approach. If you or someone you know are experiencing any kind of loss, they can offer you individual support by phone, in-person or online. Please contact Anaïs at the phone number or email address below, to assess the possibility of receiving this service in English, Spanish or Greek.

For more information

To learn more about any of the above services, please contact Anaïs Fortin-Maltais, program coordinator of the Caregivers’ Circle, by phone at 581-446-7476, or by email.

If you need immediate support, call the Caregiver Support Helpline of the Appui pour les proches aidants. Their caregiver counsellors are all trained in professional assistance and offer confidential, personalized, non-judgmental, caring and empathetic support.  You can reach them 7 days a week between 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 1 855 852-7784, or by e-mail, or by using their web contact form.