Bereavement Support at Sharp Coronado Hospital

Bereavement Support
If you have lost a loved one, we at Sharp Coronado Hospital extend our sympathy to you and your family. As you move through this difficult time, we hope our services can assist you. You are invited to join our biweekly grief support group, which meets the first and third Tuesday of each month from 10 to 11 am in the Soledad Conference Room at the hospital. Call 619-522-3774 for more information.

Funeral arrangements
A mortuary can make all final arrangements and will help with other information including date, time, type of service(s), obituary and gift/memorial. Costs can vary — consider calling several organizations before finalizing any arrangements as all mortuaries are required by law to give you prices over the telephone.

Other Arrangements
Notify the following individuals and organizations about the loss of your loved one: 

• Banks and other financial institutions regarding accounts, pensions, property, insurance policies and trustees
• Family, friends, business associates, lawyer and clergy
• Social Security at 1-800-722-1213

Death Certificates
A death certificate is required for bank accounts, insurance companies, property ownership, vehicle ownership, bonds, credit unions, Veteran’s Pension Fund, transfer of titles and Social Security. You can usually obtain a copy from the funeral director or county office of records.

Grieving
Grief itself is a normal and natural reaction to the loss of a loved one. Working through your grief can be a painful process, but it is necessary to ensure your future emotional and physical well being. The following are common signs of grief:

• Behaviors: absentmindedness, appetite disturbances, avoiding reminders of deceased, crying, dreaming of the deceased, restlessness, sighing, sleep disturbances, social withdrawal or substance abuse
• Feelings: anger, anxiety, guilt, helplessness, loneliness, numbness, relief, sadness, shock or yearning
• Physical sensations: breathlessness, hollowness in stomach, lack of energy, oversensitivity to noise, tightness in chest, tightness in throat or weakness in muscles

Counseling and Support
The following resources are available to provide you and your family effective ways to cope with your loss and help you return to a focus on living:

• Bereavement group meetings are held in the Soledad Conference Room on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. For more information, contact our hospital chaplain at 619-522-3774.
• Our hospital chaplain at Sharp Coronado works with all religious and spiritual belief systems, and also provides spiritual care to individuals who do not identify with any specific religion. To speak with our hospital chaplain, call 619-522-3774.
• Social Services department representatives are also available to offer support and information as you cope with your loss. To speak with a representative from the hospital’s Social Services department, call 619-522-3787.

Remember that grief is an individual process and recovery takes time. You have our support in this time of healing.