Crescent Hospice provides our patients’ families with bereavement support up to 13 months following death, making sure that families have the support that they need

Grief Resources

Caregiver’s Guide

This brochure describes how to help someone during the stressful time of grieving for a loved one.

Hard Choices for Loving People

This booklet is written to provide guidance to patients and their families who must face the “hard choices” as they receive and participate in healthcare. The “hard choices” are found in four questions that require treatment decisions: 1) Should resuscitation be attempted? 2) Should artificial nutrition and hydration be utilized? 3) Should a nursing home resident or someone ill at home be hospitalized? and 4) Is it time to shift the treatment goal from cure to comfort care only?

Handbook for Mortals (online version)

This online edition includes the full text of the Handbook for Mortals by Joanne Lynn, M.D. and Joan Harrold, M.D., an authoritative consumer guide to end-of-life care.

Anticipatory Grief

Anticipatory grief refers to the grief experienced when a death is expected. It usually begins with the news of a terminal diagnosis and involves the acknowledgment that the death of a loved one is approaching. This can be extremely painful and difficult to endure. This type of grief is distinct because it is experienced while your loved one is still living. This article describes what to expect and how to address anticipatory grief.

The Dying Process

The end of life is inevitable. Our Director of Operations, Tom Johnson-Medland is a licensed chaplain and has written numerous books and dozens of articles. Included here is a collection of articles and poems addressing the end of life.

The Grieving Process

It is expected that along with death there will be grief. Tom has also written extensively on the subject of grief. We thought that these articles and poems may prove helpful and interesting as you undertake your own journey.

If your loved one was a patient, click here for our bereavement resources.

Planning Ahead

Five Wishes

Five Wishes is a document that combines a living will, which is one form of advance directive, with a document that authorizes a specific type of power of attorney or health care proxy in which someone is appointed to make decisions on their behalf when they are incapacitated. It is often encouraged that people complete the Five Wishes document to provide the most comprehensive guidance regarding their care. A sample document can be found here and you can visit the online tutorial here.

Guide for Caring for the Seriously Ill

The onset of a serious illness can affect much more than a person’s health. Knowing what steps to take to get your financial and legal affairs in order is often vitally important not only to you, but to your loved ones. This guide provides you information on several steps to consider, if you or your loved one faces serious illness.

South Carolina Lieutenant Governor's Office on Aging

The Lieutenant Governor's Office on Aging works with a network of regional and local organizations to develop and manage programs and services to improve the quality of life of South Carolina's older citizens, and to help them remain independent in their homes and communities.

South Carolina Access

The goal of SC Access is to provide useful information for older adults, their family members and caregivers in South Carolina. It includes a collection of services and Information Specialists in every county that can be reached by phone.

Senior Citizen’s Handbook

South Carolina has created a very helpful guide for seniors and their caregivers which includes information regarding health care financing (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, Long-Term Care), patients’ rights and protections, protective services, financial planning (e.g., estate planning and wills, and community and aging services.

SC Living Will and Power of Attorney (Advance Directives)

The state has provided forms which allow competent adults the right to make their own health care decisions, including the right to decide what medical care or treatment to accept, reject or discontinue.


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