Supportive Care services at Chatham-Kent Hospice have changed over the last year to respect the restrictions put in place for the safety of our community. Despite the need to change how services have been offered, the COVID-19 pandemic has raised new and complex challenges and the need for grief and bereavement services has been witnessed across the globe. Since March 2020, Chatham-Kent Hospice has offered individual Social Work and Spiritual Care Support both by phone and through a virtual platform. Group programs have been placed on hold with the exception of walking groups and virtual educational sessions. During this time of uncertainty, we sought feedback from a number of participants through phone interviews to learn how to improve our services and also how we are impacting the community. We have learned that many people look forward to group programs opening as soon as possible and we hope to do so as soon as it is safe. We have also heard many testimonials about how these services have helped people through a very difficult time. We’d like to share a few quotes from our participants to reflect what bereavement services at Chatham-Kent Hospice can offer.
“For some the end of a life can be a relief and for others it takes you to a depth of sadness one never thought possible. It can make strong people weak and in some cases teach the resiliency of an individual’s spirit. For me, this journey has been one of sadness, confusion and profound loss. After a year it was clear that this new territory I found myself in was not without challenges and one for which I was not prepared. At one of the most difficult times I reached out to Hospice and was welcomed without question. My grief journey has been one of new learning, challenge, and as time moves forward, acceptance. These transitions have happened with the care and specialized skill of the staff who are part of the program. Life is precious and a well lived life, a gift. I shall remain forever grateful for the opportunity to access this support without cost, without fear and in my home community.”
“I am a recent widow, having lost my husband in October 2020. The Chatham-Kent Hospice provided me with excellent supportive counselling by phone during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The attentiveness of my counsellor, Melissa, was so comforting and essential to my grief journey. There is so much loss during this time and access to normal group counselling and other ways for coping with grief have been restricted. The support of the Chatham-Kent Hospice grief counselling service has been beneficial and appreciated.”
“Though my mom was never admitted to the Chatham-Kent Hospice, I wouldn’t have been able to navigate the loss without the support of your grief counsellor team. From the very bottom of my heart, thank you so much for everything.”
“These services were very helpful, fantastic. I realized I wasn’t alone to work through the process of grief. My counsellor helped prepare me for the one year anniversary of my loss that I didn’t think I would make it through.”
If you or someone you love is coping with loss, we want you to know that support is available and that you are not alone. Please fill out our Get in Touch form using the subject Bereavement Program or give us a call Sally at 519-354-3113 ext 2406.