ABSTRACT
The concept of aftercare (i.e., caring for the bereaved) is nothing new. The practice of supporting mourners through grief and mourning is a natural social response to loss within most traditional cultures and societies [ 11. Family members and significant others routinely gather during times of illness, dying, and death to provide physical, emotional, and spiritual support to the dying and their survivors. Raphel postulates that the provision of comfort and consolation to those who mourn during times of distress reinforces important social rituals and perhaps more importantly serves as a powerful reinforcer of familial and communal bonds [2]. However, a number of factors seem to undermine these traditional support systems causing mourners to be unsupported and more at-risk of not having a healthy course of grief recovery [31. Families in traditional communities are less likely to be able to support the bereaved due to their own limitations as well as considering the growing dysfunction among families, social and physical distances, alienation, and an erosion of traditional rituals to assist mourners. In addition, the lack of awareness and sensitivity in our society about the critical need for supportive care after the death of a loved one has also minimized the availability of resources to those who mourn [41. It is the awareness of this need that has facilitated the realization of aftercare within a number of communities of professional care providers.
