5.6 When a Child Dies at the POGO Satellite Clinic
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When a child at your POGO Satellite Clinic dies, consider:
- Connecting with the specialized childhood cancer program to inform them of the child’s death.
- Notifying the POGO Interlink Nurse and social worker to reach out to the family, provide support and assist with practical aspects as needed (e.g., funeral arrangements).
- Reaching out to the tertiary hospital bereavement program, if one exists, to connect with family and offer additional support to family and possibly to POGO Satellite Clinic staff.
- Reaching out to the family:
- Can be done by phone, card/note, attendance at visitation or funeral
- Enquire about siblings and make referrals if necessary
Resources for Grieving Families
- Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). Visit https://cmha.ca/find-help/find-cmha-in-your-area/ to find your local CMHA branch; this organization also provides literature for families.
- Local funeral homes often offer bereavement programs for adults and children.
- Local churches may offer support groups and counselling.
- Bereaved Families of Ontario.
- Center for Loss and Life Transition, an organization dedicated to supporting families who are mourning and their caregivers.
- AfterLoss offers an excellent monthly newsletter for grieving families.
- Fernside is a club for kids and teens dealing with death.
- The Hospital for Sick Children has an extensive library of printable literature and resources on grief and mourning.
- The Mourner’s Bill of Rights by Dr. Alan D. Wolfelt.
- The Six Needs of Mourning by Dr. Alan D. Wolfelt.
- Local Hospice: Connect with the program nearest you.
See appendices for other resources and ideas regarding support for grieving families and staff at your clinic.
Primary authors Dr. Lenna Morgan, Windsor Regional Hospital, Windsor and Ms. Leslie Price, Windsor Regional Hospital, Windsor. Reviewed by the POGO Satellite Manual Palliative Care Working Group, 2016.
Disclaimer: Source Accuracy
You are welcome to download and save a local copy of this document in the Word and/or PDF formats provided. As the POGO Satellite Manual is subject to ongoing revisions and updates by POGO, we recommend you regularly check the online version posted at https://www.pogo.ca/satellite-manual/ to ensure you have the most up-to-date content. In the event of any inconsistency between the content of a local copy and the online version of the POGO Satellite Manual, the content of the online version shall be considered correct. Please see also the POGO Satellite Manual Disclaimer.
Record of Updates
| Version Number | Date of Effect | Summary of Revisions |
| 1 | 8/24/2021 | Original version posted. |