Bereavement Committee retreat

The work of SickKids Bereavement Committee was shared at a June 29 retreat. The Bereavement committee has since the summer of 2009 reviewed all procedures relating to death at SickKids Hospital. The need, as identified by the committee, is for a hospital wide culture of support for healthy grieving, palliation and end-of-life care. Thanks to parents Mitch Blum and Catherine Fenton for working with a dozen or so staff over almost a year to review palliative and bereavement policy and procedures, hospital education, resource development, clinical practice and research. Margaret Keatings hopes to publish recommendations of the Bereavement Committee by September 2010.