New evidence for anticipatory grief.

This exploratory study was designed to learn more about the needs of the survivors of hospice patients. A transitions framework is proposed as a way to conceptualize both hospice care and anticipatory grief, and a new clinical tool--the 10-Mile Mourning Bridge--is presented for survivors' assessments of their progress in bereavement. Survivors perceived that the routine pre-death work of the hospice team had a positive impact on their subsequent well-being in bereavement.