Topic: Words Count: Helping the Dying and Bereaved Deal with Insensitive Comments

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Insensitive comments seem to be everywhere for people who are dying, their families, and newly bereaved people. Sometimes, well-meaning friends disbelievingly ask, “Aren’t you over that yet?” Others offer meaning-making comments like, “This must be such a relief for you,” or “He’s in a better place now,” or “At least you can get back to living your life.” In this provocative, sometimes funny, and often poignant workshop, we’ll talk about how to help people deal with the insensitive comments that come their way. Included in our discussion will be principles for helping people self-advocate, become educators of their friends and community, and at times, laugh off the “stupid on steroids” that comes their way.

Objectives. At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to…

• Utilize a strategy for ascertaining what bereaved individuals have been told by well-meaning friends and family members
• Describe ways insensitive comments by friends and family can unintentionally disenfranchise the experiences of the dying and bereaved
• Apply principles for teaching education and self-advocacy

2 CEUs for Social Workers and Nurses