Foothills Visiting Nurses Provide Support During Bereavement

By Colleen Gundlach
Since 1985, the Foothills Visiting Nurse & Home Care, Inc., has provided hospice care to the residents of the Winsted area. Hospice is a service that provides palliative, comfort care to people suffering from a terminal illness. According to Martha Babbitt, the agency’s Bereavement and Volunteer Coordinator, Foothills is now offering a bereavement support group to “provide comfort and support both to the patient and to the family.”
Titled “The Path Through Grief”, the group will meet at the agency offices in Winsted on Tuesday evenings from 4:30 to 6 p.m. for six weeks beginning March 27, 2007 and new members are always welcome. Sessions are open to any adult who has experienced loss within the past year or two, and all area residents are welcome.
In addition to people who have already experienced loss, this group is helpful to caregivers of dying patients as well, said Babbitt. “Roles change with a loss and people need to adjust to the new normal. Growth can come from this.” Helping people to cope with the stress and inevitable change which accompanies death and dying is facilitated by a basic overview of the grieving process and by sharing experiences with others who understand what it is like to lose a loved one.
Some of the topics to be covered include “An Overview of the Grieving Process,” “Healing the Pain,” “Taking Care of Yourself”, and “Change and Growth.” There is no charge for the series, but pre-registration is necessary. For more information or to register, call Martha Babbitt at 379-8561.