h e a r t s - The Denver Hospice

Calendar of Grief Support ServicesADULT SUPPORT GROUPS (Series Groups)Newly Bereaved GroupA 4-week, educational and participatory supportgroup for adults who have experienced a death losswithin the last three months. We invite you to registerfor one of the upcoming series, to be offered from 12:00Noon to 1:30 PM on: Tuesdays in December (Nov.26, December 3, 10, 17); and Mondays in January2014 (January 6, 13, 20, 27)Registration by telephone is required.Suggested fee: $60.Going Through Grief GroupA 6-week, educational and participatory supportgroup for adults grieving any significant death loss.Group members should allow at least three monthsfrom their loss before starting this group. The nextseries will meet for six consecutive weeknights,from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, in winter 2014. Please checkThe Denver Hospice website for updated informationon exact meeting dates. Registration by applicationis required. Suggested fee: $100 for Hospiceclients; $120 for Community Bereaved.Creative Arts Grief GroupA 6-week, experiential group for adults who areinterested in exploring art, writing, and other creativetools for expressing and working through their grief.The next Creative Arts Group will begin in February2014 and will meet from 6:00 to 8:00 PM onThursday evenings, for six consecutive weeks. Thisgroup will meet on February 6, 13, 20, 27, March 6,13, in 2014. Registration by application isrequired. Suggested fee (which includes the cost ofart materials): $120 for Hospice clients; $140 forCommunity Bereaved.INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORTIndividual Adult CounselingAt times the grief process offers challenges thatrespond best to individualized support. Grief counselingis provided by trained counselors. The firstthree sessions are free to adult family and friends ofpatients of The Denver Hospice. Sliding scale fees areavailable to Community Bereaved individuals.Footprints Children’s Grief CenterThe Footprints Children’s Grief Center provides individualcounseling for children and teens, ages3-18. Support groups are offered through our partneringagency, Judi’s House. Please call CarlieWagner, MS, at 303.398.6228 for a personalized griefsupport recommendation for your child.Other Grief Support Resources in the CommunityIf the location, dates, or times of our grief supportservices make it difficult for you to attend, pleasecall us for information about community griefsupport resources near you.Looking for a meaningful gift foryourself or another grieving person?Sympathy Solutions:Unique Expressions of Comfortwww.sympathysolutions.comUnique memorials that celebrate loved ones andbring solace to those left behind:• Sympathy gifts for yourself or another• Memorial stones • Forever florals• Grief books • Grief articlesTo Contact Sympathy Solutions by telephone, calltoll free 1-888-447-9672.Bereavement Artists.comCelebrating the Life of a Loved Onewww.bereavementartists.com.Custom, commemorative art created by dedicatedart professionalsMaterials used in commemorative art include:• Collage • Fabrics/Clothing • Glass • Metal• Mixed Media • Paintings • Pastels • Pets• Photography • Portraits • Sculpture• Urns • Video • Wood

Grief SupportThis Year Will Be DifferentBy Jennifer Yarbro, MA, LPC, Grief Center Manager & Grief CounselorIf the mere sight of the calendar produces a sense of dread this month, there is probably agood reason for it. “The most wonderful time of the year” is often the loneliest time of theyear for grieving people. How could it not be lonely when someone so central to the joy andmeaning of the holidays is missing? Family gatherings and familiar rituals just aren’t thesame without that person. As Edna St. Vincent Millay put it, “The presence of that absenceis everywhere.” It helps to recognize that there are different shades of the holiday blues.Different kinds of loneliness call for different kinds of company. If what you are missing isbeing with your loved one, the office party may not be the best place for you. You may wantto spend the evening alone with your loved one’s favorite movie and a big box of tissues, orwith your family sharing favorite memories. Another option might be to attend a candlelightremembrance service or create a ritual of your own that makes you feel connected toyour loved one.If you are fed up with the frenetic pace and pressure to be merry, stay away from the malls.Forget about making cookies and sending cards to everyone you know (they’ll forgive you).Keep your own company. Acknowledge your feelings and give yourself permission to havethem. Cry all night, sleep late, make a pot of coffee or tea and stare out the window at thesnow. Read a book, take a walk. Contemplate the true meaning of the holidays that youobserve, and reflect on the fact that literally millions of other human beings are grievingthe loss of a loved one. You are not alone in your grief.If you are feeling left out altogether, you may simply need the company of your fellowhuman beings. We all need other people, especially when we are grieving. It can be difficultto express how you feel and ask for what you need, but that may be just what it takes tomake it through the holiday season. If you want to be surrounded by people who know aboutyour loss, let family and friends know you want to be included. If a movie or a cup of coffeeor tea away from the maddening crowd is more up your alley, plan some escape dates withthose who know how to “ just be” with you. If serving a meal to the homeless is what makesyou feel connected to the human race, invite a friend to help out with you. Most people arerelieved to know what they can do to help.In a few months you will have made it through, one way or another. Try imagining yourselfwaking up sometime in early January with a sense of relief that the holidays are behindyou and you did okay. How did you manage the holiday blues? Who did you spend time with?What activities did you engage in? What did you avoid? How did you make it through thereally painful times? What was most touching moment? Did you catch yourself having fun?Let your answers to these questions guide you through the holiday season.

the denver hospice Footprints Children’s Grief CenterKids’ CornerHolidays Are Hard for Kids, TooAll holidays and special occasions throughout the year are important for children and families. Because holidaysare a time that combines both memories from the past and hopes for the future, they can be difficult for a familythat has experienced a loss of their loved one. Maintaining family traditions and holiday routines can instillcomfort and stability for children at these times. Keep in mind, however, that some family traditions may need tobe altered or new ones created to reflect current family needs.Planning intentional activities with your children can bring extra meaning and facilitate remembrance of lovedones. Remember to respect your child’s involvement and ownership in the creation of celebratory ideas. Here aresome ideas:• Wrap or decorate a box as a gift containing written or visual messages or objects that represent wishes,hopes, and memories of your loved one.• Make special holiday foods favored by your loved one and listen to their favorite music.• Share stories of favorite memories of past holidays.• Make holiday decorations for the table and house that your loved one would have enjoyed.• Write and present special toasts.501 South Cherry Street, Suite 700Denver, Colorado 80246-1328NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGEPAIDDenver, COPermit No. 2449Formerly Hospice ofMetro DenverADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTEDIf you arereceiving duplicatecopies or would prefernot to receivefuture newsletters,please call theGrief Center at303.398.6209Healing Hearts is published bimonthly to presentinformation about The Denver Hospice Grief Center’sservices and to provide support through the grievingprocess. For additional information, please contactThe Denver Hospice Grief Center at 303.321.2828.Grief CenterLocation:501 S. Cherry Street, Suite 700Denver, CO 80246Phone: 303.321.2828The Denver HospiceGrief Center offers expertand comprehensive griefsupport services, including:• individual counseling for adults,individual counseling for children,• grief counseling for families• support groups for adults• art therapy for adults• art therapy for children• education and information• community referrals