Transitions in Dying and Bereavement

Wendy Wainwright, M.Ed., has been working in the area of psychosocial palliative care locally, regionally, and nationally for over 30 years. She has been based at Victoria Hospice since 1983, beginning as a community counselor, then bereavement coordinator and manager of counseling services before becoming Director of Clinical Services. She is administrator for nursing and psychosocial services, overseeing a staff of RNs, LPNs, nursing unit assistants, counselors, social workers, and a spiritual care coordinator who work in cooperation with other clinical and non-clinical employees and volunteers to serve both patients and families from registration to bereavement. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s of education in counseling psychology. She has developed staff and volunteer training programs for VHS and educational materials for patients, families, and professionals. Ms. Wainwright is the author of numerous professional journal articles on counseling activities, child and parent support groups, and young people and death. Marney Thompson, M.A., has worked in various roles at Victoria Hospice since 1990, including as a volunteer, a group facilitator, and counsellor, and is currently Bereavement Program Coordinator. She has a bachelor’s degree in child and youth care and a master’s degree in human and social development. An experienced conference presenter of psychosocial palliative topics, she is also the author of various publications on bereavement published by the Victoria Hospice Society. Victoria Hospice is a relatively large hospice palliative care and bereavement program in a community of approximately 375,000 (Victoria, British Columbia).Founded in 1980, it has a staff of approximately 116 full-time, part-time, and casual (on-call) staff and more than 300 active volunteers. It is a registered charity that provides end-of-life care, education, and research focused on palliative treatment. Its nurses, counselors, spiritual caregivers, physicians, and trained volunteers provide comfort for the patient and support for the family rather than a cure for progressive and life-limiting illness. Care is offered in patients’ homes, within a 17-bed in-patient unit, and as specific medical consultation to patients in other healthcare facilities. Victoria Hospice also offers bereavement support to families for up to one year following a death.