Losing a loved one is hard, and coping with the loss of a loved one can be a long process. Grief manifests differently in different people, depending on their relationship with the person who died, how the person died, and personal factors like physical state, life experiences, faith and more. Because each person is unique, there is no "correct" way to cope with the loss of a loved one.

A funeral or memorial is often the beginning of a long healing process. Dignity Memorial® professionals can provide you tools and resources to help guide you through your unique grieving process. Grief support resources include counselors, reading materials and more—all available to you, your family and even funeral attendees who need some support.

Grief support and personal grief counseling

The Dignity Memorial network offers compassionate care to families even after the funeral is over. From the time you start to plan a funeral into the days and weeks that follow, our network of caring experts offers comfort and advice as you begin to work through the pain of losing a loved one.

The Compassion Helpline® is a complimentary service available to you and your family day and night, offering unlimited access by phone to professional grief counselors for 13 months after a funeral or memorial service. In addition, extended family and friends who attend a visitation, committal service or memorial service also get 3 months' access to the helpline. The helpline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The first few months after a loved one passes away can be difficult, especially if you are faced with delaying burial because of weather, travel or military arrangements. Grief counselors can walk you and your family members through these challenges and more, so you are better able to make the decisions you need to make when the time comes to say goodbye. Even without complications, whether you’ve lost a husband, wife, father, mother, sibling, child, friend or other loved one, grief can be overwhelming and working through your grief can be challenging. Our compassionate counselors are there for you, providing a safe place for you to work through difficult emotions and express the feelings that surface as you move through the stages of grief.

The Dignity Memorial network also has a range of grief support materials developed in partnership with grief professionals to bring comfort and help with coping and the grieving process. You can access some of these resources online, and an extensive collection of booklets, brochures, DVDs and CDs with caring advice and compassionate insight is available from your provider.

Grief support can also include our placing flowers on your loved one’s grave with regular frequency and follow-up calls to check in and let you know we care.

Keepsake jewelry and urns

Tokens of remembrance can also help you cope with the loss of a family member. Keepsake jewelry that incorporates cremated remains or a fingerprint taken before cremation or burial can be a special way to keep a loved one close. We can create rings, bracelets and necklace pendants for you and other family members to wear for years to come.

A keepsake cremation urn is another way to pay tribute to your loved one. Instead of having a single urn for cremated remains, also known as ashes, consider several smaller urns so that multiple family members can keep a loved one close by.

We are here for you

Dignity Memorial professionals can help you navigate the uncharted waters of the grieving process. Working with a Dignity Memorial provider gives you and your family members access to a grief support library and 24-hour grief counseling, as well as other aftercare benefits such as help settling an estate, placement of cemetery flowers and sympathy follow-ups from the funeral home. Call on us to assist you, any day, any time.