DEALING with the death of a loved one, particularly a partner, is one of the most difficult moments in life.Bendigo Health’s Palliative Care Bereavement program has been running for many years, and has more than 250 clients at any one time.People are supported for a period of 12 months through phone or home visits, and a number of short term additional programs are designed to assist with their grief.Bendigo Health co-ordinator of bereavement services Ann Naughton said dealing with grief was an important part of life.‘‘Grief is silent, yet very powerful,’’ she said.‘‘People may put their own grief on hold to support their children or other loved ones, and sometimes this can affect their physical and emotional functioning, causing them to become unwell.’’Volunteer Ken Austin has worked in bereavement support for more than seven years and said he had benefited from assistance 13 years ago after the death of his wife.‘‘It’s an opportunity for someone to talk to people outside the family about how they are feeling,’’ he said.Ms Naughton said it was important for bereaved people to talk about their loss, adding it was less likely people would suffer with support.‘‘I see many people trying to contend with their grief who then get seriously ill, but with the support of our bereavement program, which is effectively a health promotion program, we’ve found this is much less likely to happen,’’ she said.Volunteers undergo extensive training and are required to assist for about three hours per week. Anyone interested can phone volunteer co-ordinator Cathie Shearer on 5454 8926.