Ambiguous Loss: Understanding the Implications for Hospice and Palliative Care Practice

This interactive presentation will describe the concept of ambiguous loss and illustrate how it shows up in hospice and palliative social work practice. Case examples and considerations for clinical intervention, organizational policy, and social work interprofessional practice will be shared. 

Ambiguous loss is a particular kind of grief in which resolution is not possible. It requires a focus on coping. This presentation will offer an overview of the theory and concepts as described by Pauline Boss, Ph.D. and others, and discuss particular considerations for hospice and palliative social work practice. Clinical situations, including brain death, life-altering diagnoses, and progressive losses over the course of serious illness involve ambiguous loss for patients and their families, caregivers, and others. Because the loss continues to occur and remains unresolved, learning to cope with the new situation becomes the focus. Certain situations, for example, brain death, can engender ambiguous loss and, if not addressed, can create barriers to effective end-of-life care. Organizational policies around end-of-life care can be influenced by a better understanding of how ambiguous loss manifests and best practices for addressing it through interprofessional interventions. Case examples and interactive lecture will be used to enhance our understanding of how ambiguous loss shows up in practice and how social workers can intervene around this important issue. 

Stacy Remke is in private practice as a consultant and training specialist for palliative care. She was a Senior Teaching Specialist at the University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work since 2012, focusing on health, disabilities and aging, as well as interprofessional education, before retiring in 2025. Prior to teaching, she spent 27 years as a pediatric palliative social worker, assisting children and families with life-threatening, chronic, complex conditions. She was a founder of one of the first pediatric palliative care programs in the US at Children’s Minnesota Hospitals. Stacy was a Co-Investigator for the NCI-funded curriculum development project, Education in Palliative and End-of-life for Pediatrics, “EPEC-Pediatrics,” and has taught the curriculum nationally and internationally. Stacy has contributed extensively to the knowledge base for the field of pediatric palliative care through publications and training. She served on the national Advisory Board for NHPCO’s Pediatric interest group, and as a faculty member for Center to Advance Palliative Care’s (CAPC) PCLC at Children’s Minnesota. Stacy served on the Board for Social Work Hospice and Palliative Network (SWHPN), including as Chair. She is a certified hospice and palliative care social work specialist (APHSW-C). A member of The International Workgroup on Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWGDDB), she focuses on grief literacy, child loss, and childhood bereavement issues. She is a Fellow in the National Academies of Practice.

Continuing Education Hours

Completion of this class will result in the receipt of one and one-half (1.5) continuing education hours. CEHs are not awarded for partial completion of the class.

You will receive the Zoom link for joining the class by the day before the class. IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE LINK BY THIS TIME, PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER. 

You will need a computer and a reliable WiFi connection. The computer may be a desktop or a laptop. It may be an Apple or Windows computer.

If you have never used Zoom before, you will likely be prompted to download an applet, which is a small program that allows Zoom to communicate with your computer. This is safe and you will need to do this to join the class.

It is NOT advised that you participate using a table (e.g., an iPad) or a cellular phone. The software is not optimized for these devices.

Please plan to join the online class 15 minutes before the start time to be sure that you don’t have any problems connecting. We cannot provide technical support to you and refunds won’t be offered if you have technical problems. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact us at [email protected] at least a few days before the class.