InfoAnywhere Blog

Discover how the Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid can help hospices and bereavement programs deliver tiered, compassionate care tailored to every individual's needs.

Meeting Bereavement Needs Through Structure

People going through bereavement require understanding, compassion, and appropriate support.

Whether it's a hospice, a bereavement program, or professionals supporting grieving families, consistency and structure are key to meaningful individualized care.

The Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid places bereaved people's needs at the centre and shows the appropriate support/services and competence required to meet basic through complex bereavement needs.

This tiered framework aims to help those who meet grieving people in their daily work (general practitioners, citizen information services, etc.) and those who provide direct bereavement support (group or individual support, counselling, and mental health professional interventions) identify and respond appropriately to adults who have experienced a loss.

It helps guide professionals, volunteers, and organizations in providing support that addresses varying bereavement needs, from universal compassion to specialized therapeutic interventions.

In this post, we'll explore:

• Why a structured bereavement care approach matters.
• What is the Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid, and how does it work?
• Practical steps for hospices and bereavement programs to implement this framework effectively.

Why a Structured Bereavement Care Approach is Essential

Without a clear framework, bereavement care can feel inconsistent, leading to gaps in support for those who need it most. A tiered approach benefits everyone involved:

Bereaved individuals receive the right level of care based on their needs.

Staff and volunteers gain clarity on how to respond, reducing uncertainty.

Organizations can establish clear referral pathways, ensuring efficiency and collaboration.

The pyramid approach ensures that compassion and acknowledgement are available to everyone while providing specialized interventions for those with complex grief.

What is the Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid?

The Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid is a tiered framework that recognizes four levels of bereavement needs:

Level 1: Universal Needs – Compassion and Information

Basic acknowledgement, compassion, and practical information about bereavement.

Who provides it: Social networks, healthcare staff, and the wider community.

Key takeaway: Everyone who experiences a loss needs compassion and support at this level.

Level 2: Additional Needs – Organized Support

More personalized support, such as group or peer programs.

Who provides it: Community-based bereavement services and trained professionals.

Key takeaway: People needing to explore their grief outside their immediate network benefit from structured support.

Level 3: Complex Needs – Professional Counseling and Therapy

Professional therapeutic interventions to help with pronounced or overwhelming grief.

Who provides it: Qualified counsellors, psychotherapists, and mental health professionals.

Key takeaway: For individuals whose coping mechanisms are stretched, professional help is key.

Level 4: Specialized Needs – Specialist Therapeutic Services

Specialized interventions for acute or persistent grief reactions, including mental health support.

Who provides it: Experts with substantial clinical experience in grief-related therapy.

Key takeaway: Complex grief may require evidence-based treatments and specialist care.

How Can Hospices and Bereavement Programs Implement the Pyramid?

Implementing the Bereavement Care Pyramid requires a strategic approach. Here's a step-by-step guide for organizations to integrate this framework into their bereavement programs:

Train Staff and Volunteers

• Conduct training sessions to explain the pyramid structure and the different levels of care.
• Provide resources on compassion-based responses, active listening, and recognizing when referrals are needed.

Build Clear Referral Pathways

• Develop a system for identifying needs and referring individuals to the appropriate level of support.
• Partner with local organizations, therapists, and mental health services for Level 3 and Level 4 referrals.

Offer Community-Based Support at Level 2

• Set up peer support groups, listening services, and outreach initiatives to address additional needs.
• Ensure these services are accessible (both online and in-person) and well-publicized.

Integrate Governance and Quality Assurance

• Establish safeguarding, supervision, and training protocols to ensure quality support at all levels.
• Maintain accreditation for professionals providing Level 3 and Level 4 services.

Raise Awareness and Improve Accessibility

• Promote bereavement care resources widely through community campaigns and digital platforms.
• Ensure materials are available in multiple formats and languages to increase accessibility.

The Benefits of a Tiered Bereavement Framework

By implementing the Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid, hospices and bereavement programs can:

1. Provide compassionate, tailored support that meets individual needs.
2. Ensure individuals are referred seamlessly to the appropriate services.
3. Reduce the burden on families and communities by fostering a collaborative, structured approach.

Ultimately, this framework empowers organizations to care for bereaved individuals effectively, ensuring no one faces grief alone.

In conclusion, Adult Bereavement Care Pyramid - which started as an initiative by the Irish Hospice Foundation, is more than a model—it's a practical guide for delivering consistent, compassionate care across all levels of need. By adopting this framework, hospices, healthcare providers, and community programs can make bereavement support accessible, impactful, and tailored to those needing it most.

Start implementing this framework today and help bereaved individuals navigate their grief with the care and compassion they deserve.

More information at: https://hospicefoundation.ie/our-supports-services/bereavement-loss-hub/i-work-in-bereavement/adult-bereavement-care-pyramid/

Why This Blog and Why Now?

Hospice care is more than a service—it is a lifeline of comfort, dignity, and support for individuals and families facing life's most tender moments. Hospice and palliative care organizations face many challenges: staffing shortages, regulatory demands, and increasing complexities in patient needs weigh heavily on organizations striving to provide compassionate care.

At InfoAnywhere, we recognize these challenges and have built solutions to empower hospices daily. This blog is a space to promote hospice care's role in healthcare, discuss pressing issues, and share tools and innovations that impact the lives of people served by organizations.

Hospices are complex organizations that often need help capturing, analyzing, and reporting data.

We built InfoAnywhere, software tailored explicitly for hospices, with the help and feedback of hundreds of Hospice nurses, administrative staff, volunteers, and people involved with palliative care since 2002. It is constantly updated to meet your unique and ever-growing needs—this is our commitment.

This blog is the start of a conversation that we want to have about the challenges Hospice and Palliative Care organizations face and how they address them.

Why us? InfoAnywhere Made for Hospice is a Partner in Your Mission

We collaborate with nurses and specialists in palliative and end-of-life care to ensure our software meets real-world needs. With tools that streamline complex workflows and support capture and accurate records, InfoAnywhere allows hospices to focus on what truly matters: providing dignity, comfort, and support to patients and families.

Let's Get Started Together

Ready to explore how InfoAnywhere can empower your hospice team to thrive? Stay tuned.