by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. If someone you love has died during the novel coronavirus pandemic, you have come to grief in an exceptionally challenging moment in history. You may have been separated from your loved one as they were dying. You may have been unable to view or spend time with the body after the death. You may have been prevented from having the full funeral you wanted because of gathering and travel restrictions. And people who care about you may not have been able to be near you to support you in your grief. These and other pandemic-related [...]

by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.   If someone you love has died of the novel coronavirus, it is likely that you are facing a number of challenging circumstances. Grief is always difficult, but it is especially difficult whenever a death is sudden, unexpected, and unfolds in ways that violate our expectations and puts up barriers to the cultural grief rituals that help us through. I have been a grief counselor and educator for over forty years, and this pandemic is unlike anything I have encountered. I am sorry you have been so deeply affected by this hardship. First, it is [...]

By Marguerite Ham, National Leadership and Executive Coach www.margueriteham.com Right now, all over the world, there is a lot of fear. There is some perfectly justified fear about our health, our family members who may be more susceptible to the virus, finding necessities, paying bills, our economy, the list goes on. Some of the fear is driven by the TV, media, social network, etc. Some fears we tumble around inside of our own heads over and over again. Remember, fear can paralyze us mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually and create stress which lowers our immune system. So, what do we [...]

This month we were so proud to honor another Caregiver of the Month recipient, Almany Bonilla of Hospice of Westchester! She was nominated for her selfless and caring attitude and going the extra mile when helping families enduring stressful situations. We love being able to recognize these extraordinary members of our community and award them with a crystal award plaque, a beautiful floral boquet, and a $100 Amazon giftcard. To nominate a deserving caregiver in the area - a selfless hospice professional, physician, or nurse - please visit https://ballarddurand.com/caregivers/nominate/ to nominate them to win our monthly caregiver award.

As a parent, you have a natural instinct to protect your child from harm. Some wish to spare their children the pain and sorrow of a funeral. However, excluding your child from a ceremony or ritual could do more harm than good, denying them the opportunity to grieve and be with others who are mourning. In this article, we will explain how best help your child to understand the service and rituals following the loss of a loved one. 1. Answer questions before the ceremony. This will give your child the opportunity to ask any questions they might have [...]

Making it through Christmas What does Christmas mean to you? For many people, it’s a joyous time of year, a time to celebrate family and friends, and a time to be grateful for life’s blessings, remembering important days gone by and rejoicing in the present moment. For others, though, Christmas is a painful season, when the vacant spaces left by lost loved ones make them wish the holidays would pass quickly. How do you celebrate Christmas, when you don’t feel like celebrating anything? Don’t cancel Christmas. It may be tempting to hide away from the holiday, but you’d be [...]

Liz King shares her powerful experience with Ballard-Durand.