A need for grief support for area Hospice families prompted two Community Hospital employees who worked with Hospice and grieving families to develop a grief support group. Becky Mai, Social Services Director and Cathy Nichol, Registered Nurse in the Home Health and Hospice Department, said they saw a need for Hospice families who had lost a loved one to death.

“Our Hospice families were offered bereavement support with publications, phone calls, or home visits, but there is another type of support that can only be reached by meeting with and processing your grief with others that are experiencing similar situations,” said Mai. That thought is further emphasized through the new support group’s theme: “Grief shared is grief diminished.”

Both Mai and Nichol will serve as facilitators for the new Grief Support Group beginning January 6 in the Community Hospital meeting rooms. The support group, tailored for adults, will meet every first and third Tuesday of the month until April 20 from 7-8:30 p.m. It is considered a closed support group, meaning attendees preregister and are encouraged to attend all eight sessions. Once the support group begins, new members will not be added. The support group will be repeated for additional attendees in the fall from August 3 to November 16.

Any adult who has experienced a recent loss of a loved one is welcome to attend, they said, and especially adult members of families who have been served by Community Hospital’s Hospice program. The support group is limited to ten to 12 people.

Mai is a licensed social worker that has also received grief support training. Nichol has worked as a nurse with Hospice patients and their families at Community Hospital for three years. She has also received bereavement training.

As facilitators, they plan to help attendees understand the grief process and cover the different stages of loss, while having the support of others who have gone through the process. The support group will conclude with a special ceremony and mementos.

“Providing a support group is another way to provide bereavement support to our Hospice families and others in the community,” Mai said. “We have had consistent requests from the community and Hospice families to form a support group of this type.”

There is no charge to attend. Financial support for the new service comes from the Community Hospital Health Foundation, which will provide materials for attendees, including binders, handouts, videos, journals and other support materials.

For more information, or to register, contact Becky Mai, 308-345-8221 or Cathy Nichol at Community HealthCare and Hospice at 308-345-8356.