Gathering with others to honor and remember loved ones who have passed away is an important part of the healing process.
As part of its mission, Coastal Hospice offers bereavement counseling through regularly scheduled support groups, and recently two new groups have been added. These groups provide a time of respite and a safe place to express feelings in the grieving process.
There is no time limit on grief when the loss of a loved one occurred. A trained counselor from Coastal Hospice facilitates the groups and offers guidance. All groups are non-sectarian and free of charge. They are open to anyone in the community who has lost a loved one, not just Coastal Hospice families.
A new Somerset County group begins meeting on Sept. 3 and will meet regularly on the first Thursday of every month at 12 noon at the Somerset County Library, 11767 Beechwood St. in Princess Anne. Howard Travers leads the group, and information is available at 443-783-1730.
Coastal Hospice has added a new evening support group that will meet at 5:30 p.m. every first and third Monday in Salisbury, with the first meeting scheduled for Oct. 5. The group will meet at Coastal Hospice at the Lake inside Deer’s Head Hospital at 351 Deer’s Head Hospital Rd. The meeting is open to everyone, not just for families of hospice patients who had previously been cared for at Coastal Hospice at the Lake. The facilitator is Arnold Bienstock, and information is available at 410-572-6166.
“These are an opportunities for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one to support each other in a safe setting by sharing memories, exploring grief and discussing ways of coping,” Sharon Hutchison of Coastal Hospice said. “The program revolves around what the people bring to it and what they want to talk about, rather than us setting the agenda.”
Coastal Hospice also offers grief support groups in other counties and at other times and locations. A current list is always available under the “Our Services” tab on the CoastalHospice.org web site to “Grief Support.”
Founded in 1980, Coastal Hospice is a nonprofit health care organization that cares for individuals facing life-limiting conditions but who want to remain as active and engaged as possible. Coastal Hospice cares for patients in their home, nursing home, assisted living facility or at Coastal Hospice at the Lake. The organization serves Wicomico, Worcester, Dorchester and Somerset counties.
