Grief Support
Are you grieving a loss or walking alongside someone who is?
Grieving the death of a loved one can be a painful and lonely experience. It is the realization that our lives have been changed forever. Grief alters our relationships and our sense of identity. We grieve for the changes in our lives and the future we imagined. It is difficult for us to know if the feelings and reactions we are experiencing are normal. Society often encourages us to “get over it and get on with life,” leading to further pain and isolation.
Grief is a normal and natural response to loss and is the expression of the strong bond you had with the person who died. No two people grieve in the exact same way and how we express our grief is influenced by many things, such as our religious and personal beliefs, the circumstances of the death, and how we have dealt with previous losses.
Honoring Every Emotion in Grief
Grief can include a whole array of feelings that deserve attention and care such as:
- Trouble sleeping and eating
- Guilt
- Fatigue
- Anger
- Difficulty believing the death occurred
- Mood swings
- Inability to focus
- Depression
- Sensing the loved one’s presence or voice
- Feeling abandoned
Grief Support Programs
Hospicare offers grief support services for all those who live in Tompkins or Cortland County, regardless of whether your loved one used Hospicare services. No one will be turned away because
of inability to pay.
Participating in these programs provides you with the opportunity to share thoughts, feelings, and experiences with others in similar situations and can enhance the healing process and reduce
a sense of isolation.
Support Groups & Workshops
We host a variety of support groups both in Ithaca and in Cortland. Some are ongoing, some are time-limited and some are specific to a particular relational loss (such as the loss of a spouse/partner or bereaved parents). See our calendar for upcGreif oming events and grief support groups.
Grief Counseling
Individual grief counseling is available to family members and loved ones of Hospicare patients for 13 months following the death. We also extend six session of individual grief counseling to anyone grieving the death of a loved one who resides in either Tompkins or Cortland County and is over the age of 18. Please contact us to set up a time to meet with one of our professional licensed grief counselors.
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Resources
Check out the resource page with articles and downloadable PDFs to help you navigate this time. We also maintain a library of books and other materials that are located at the Hospicare residence for anyone to borrow.
Community Referrals
Hospicare can link you and your family members with other community agencies and therapists when needed.