Resources on Grief

Videos

Living Through Grief - A set of three health education videos developed by the Department of Health for use by family and friends of a terminally ill or recently departed loved one:

Home Care provides an introduction to caring for a family member or friend with a terminal illness at home. The video addresses the questions and fears faced by people who are uncertain what is involved in home care of the terminally ill, or whether they have the physical, emotional skills and strength needed.
Youth & Death is for young people aged 8-22 who have a family member or close friend who has died or has had a terminal illness. Parents can gain from the insights about the emotional experiences of children expressed in the interviews and educational footage.
The Spiritual Journey is a video for people who are facing death themselves or those who have a terminally ill friend or relative. It explores some of the ways that spiritual comfort and care can be given - from prayer , to the creation of family rituals. The video features perspectives from Maori and pakeha, young and old, male and female, as well as the religious aspects of the spiritual search.

Books for adults/teenagers

Good grief, Granger E. Westberg
Help in times of need, Christian Ministries Trust H.B.
Stuck for words, Doris Zagdanski
Now that the funeral is over, Doris Zagdanski
Coping with grief, Mal McKissock
Widowed: What now?, Valerie Austin and Charles Clarke-Smith
Down to earth - The changing funeral needs of a changing society, Marian Barnes
Losing someone you love, Alfred & Isobel & Marian Reed Trust
Something I never felt before (for the grieving teenager), Doris Zagdanski
Because you care, Barbara Russell Chesser
Helping people through grief, Delorees Kuenning
DEAD is a four letter word, John Kennedy Saynor
Genesis, John Kennedy Saynor
Surviving Your Child's Suicide, The Compassionate Friends
Empty arms (A guide for parents when their baby dies around the time of birth)
My daddy died, Heather Teakle
Water bugs and dragonflies, Doris Stickney
Healing and wholeness, Dr R. Baldwin
A window to heaven: When children see life in death, Diane M Komp MD
The Undiscovered Country: Customs of the cultural and ethnic. groups of New Zealand concerning death and dying
A grip on grief (for teenagers)

Books for children

The story of a house on a hill, Denny Chew
Grandpa and me, Marlee and Ben Alex
Tom's story, Mandy Hager
Remembering and going on, Jim Macklin
When Uncle Bob died, Althea
Scrapbook of memories, Dr Earl A. Grollman

Brochures

Brochures are available through the Funeral Directors Association.

Last Words
Death is part of all our lives - deaths of people we love, the grief of family and friends. Commissioned by FDANZ, Last Words is about acknowledging death in New Zealand's many different cultures and religions.

My Life, My Funeral
My Life, My Funeral is a planning kit to help you prearrange your funeral. The kit contains three brochures:

Organising My Funeral discusses various reasons why people choose to plan their own funeral.
My Personal Information and Funeral Choices is a guide to the various parts of a funeral and the service that an individual might wish to make decisions about. Many of the options are noted to assist people with their choices.
The My Notifications checklist prompts the individual to list the organisations and people who should be advised of his or her death.