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From the First Month to the Last Letter: How Structured Bereavement Support Guides You Through Grief

When a loved one passes, grief does not follow a schedule and neither does our support. At Jansen Hospice, we walk alongside families for 13 months after loss through individual counseling, grief support groups, personal phone calls, condolence cards, monthly mailings, and anniversary remembrances. Whether your family received long term hospice care at home or in an inpatient setting, our structured bereavement program is here for you every step of the way. You are not alone, and you do not have to navigate this journey without support.

Grief Does Not End When Hospice Care Does

One of the most common misconceptions families carry after a loss is that bereavement support ends when hospice care ends. It does not. At Jansen Hospice, our commitment to your family extends well beyond the final days of your loved one’s life. We believe that caring for a family means staying present through the hard months that follow, not just the ones leading up to a death.

What Is Long Term Hospice Care, and What Comes After?

Long term hospice care refers to the comprehensive medical, emotional, and spiritual support provided to patients with a serious illness and their families, with a focus on comfort and quality of life rather than curative treatment. Whether care is delivered at home or in an inpatient setting, the mission is the same: dignity, comfort, and family-centered care.

What many families do not realize is that this support is designed to continue after death. As a private hospice serving Westchester and the surrounding communities, Jansen Hospice has built a bereavement program that honors the full arc of grief, not just its earliest moments. Research published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirms that hospice programs play a critical role in supporting community bereavement and that structured grief services lead to meaningfully better outcomes for families.

How Jansen’s 13-Month Bereavement Program Works

Grief does not resolve in weeks. It moves in waves, sometimes quieting and then returning with full force around a birthday, a holiday, or an ordinary afternoon. Our bereavement program is built around this reality, offering layered support across a full 13 months after your loved one’s passing.

Here is what that support looks like:

Individual counseling sessions with clinical social workers and specially trained counselors
Grief support groups including spousal and partner loss groups in White Plains and Cortlandt Manor
Personal phone calls to check in and offer a compassionate, listening ear
Condolence cards in the days following your loss
Monthly mailings at the first, third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth month after the death
A closing letter at the end of the twelfth month
Anniversary cards to acknowledge the milestones that matter most

Each of these touchpoints is intentional. Together, they form a structure that holds grieving families steady as the months unfold.

Why Structure Matters in Grief

It might seem surprising that something as personal as grief would benefit from structure. But a systematic review published in PMC-NCBI on the effectiveness of support for people bereaved through advanced illness found that continuity between pre- and post-bereavement support is widely acknowledged as leading to better bereavement care. The trust and rapport built during hospice care, carried forward into bereavement support, makes a meaningful difference in how families heal.

Structure also provides something grief often takes away: a sense of rhythm. Knowing that a call is coming, that a card will arrive, that a counselor is available, gives families a thread to hold onto when everything else feels uncertain.

Inpatient Hospice vs. Home Hospice: Does It Affect Bereavement Support?

Families sometimes wonder whether the setting of hospice care affects what bereavement support is available to them afterward. The short answer is: it does not. Whether your loved one received care at home or in an inpatient facility, Jansen Hospice’s bereavement program is available to your family all the same.

The distinction between inpatient hospice vs. home hospice is an important one when it comes to the level of medical care and around-the-clock support a patient needs. But when it comes to the grief journey your family walks after a loss, our commitment to you remains exactly the same regardless of where that care took place.

Understanding the Difference Between Grief and Complicated Grief

Most people move through grief gradually, finding moments of peace alongside moments of pain. This is what the HHS bereavement services report describes as the typical grieving process. For some, however, grief persists in ways that significantly interfere with daily life. This is known as prolonged grief disorder or complicated grief, and it is distinct from the normal grieving process.

If you find that your grief is not easing over time, that you are struggling to function, or that feelings of hopelessness are intensifying rather than softening, it may be time to speak with a grief counselor. Jansen’s individual counseling services are here for exactly this reason. Reaching out for more support is not a sign of weakness. It is one of the most courageous things a grieving person can do.

Key Takeaways

Bereavement support does not end when hospice care ends. Jansen Hospice walks with families for 13 months after loss.
Structured bereavement care, including counseling, support groups, and regular check-ins, leads to better outcomes for grieving families.
Our bereavement program is available to all families we serve, regardless of whether care was provided at home or in an inpatient setting.
Grief support groups offer community, connection, and a space where you do not have to grieve alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Jansen Hospice’s bereavement support last?

Jansen Hospice provides bereavement support for up to 13 months following the death of your loved one. This includes individual counseling, support groups, personal phone calls, condolence cards, monthly mailings, and anniversary remembrances. According to the NCBI Bookshelf’s overview of bereavement intervention programs, approximately 70 percent of hospices offer bereavement services for about a year following a loss, with the most effective programs offering a layered combination of contacts over time rather than a single point of outreach.

What is the difference between grief counseling and a grief support group?

Individual grief counseling involves one-on-one sessions with a trained clinical professional, while a grief support group brings together people who have experienced similar losses in a shared, facilitated setting. Both are valuable and serve different needs. The HHS report on bereavement and grief services highlights that a variety of support types are needed because every person grieves differently, and a combination of individual and group support often produces the best outcomes.

You Do Not Have to Walk This Road Alone

At Jansen Hospice, we believe no family should have to navigate grief without a caring, knowledgeable team by their side. Whether you are newly bereaved or approaching a difficult anniversary, our bereavement program is here to meet you exactly where you are.

If you would like to learn more, we invite you to explore our bereavement services or contact our team to speak with someone who understands. There is no wrong time to reach out.

Sources

We were beyond delighted with the compassionate and professional care we received from Jansen. I would particularly like to recognize our nurse, Noleen, who made a difference in how we experienced my mother’s passing. I want to share my tremendous thanks and appreciation.

— Nan Mitchell Harman