Are you grieving a loss or walking along side someone who is?
Grieving the death of a loved one can be a painful and lonely experience. It is the realization our lives are changed forever. It alters our relationships and our sense of identity. It disrupts our daily habits and can leave us grieving for hopes and dreams of an imagined future together. Frequently, it is difficult for us to know if the feelings and reactions we are experiencing are normal ones.
Society can encourage us to “get over it and get on with life,” leading to further pain and isolation. Grief is the natural response to profound loss and is the expression of the strong bond you had with the person who died. No two people grieve in exactly the 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 dealt with previous losses.
Grief is a normal and natural response to loss that 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
What we offer
We provide counseling services, educational programs and support groups to help you during this very difficult time. Participating in these programs provides you with the opportunity to share thoughts, feelings, and experiences with others in similar situations. Being part of these programs can enhance the healing process and reduce a sense of isolation.
Bereavement support is extended to family members and loved ones. Hospice provides bereavement support for 13 months following a death.
We maintain a library of books and other materials that are here for anyone to borrow. We also have many articles that you might find helpful, including some available online.
Our programs are also open to all community members, regardless of whether your loved ones used hospice services. No one will be turned away because of inability to pay.
To learn more about our services, contact us at 607.272.0212.
Grief can be so overwhelming because it forces us to feel everything at the same time. We can be both thankful for the gift of a loved one’s life and influence, and tortured by the thought of that person’s death. The key to knowing how to respond to these fractured feelings is by staying present to them. Feelings are like the antennae of the soul. Feelings can give us enormous insight and information—if we learn how to pay attention."
- Rev. Tim Dean, chaplain, Cayuga Medical Center
