Family Support - Good Samaritan Hospice

	The Hospice Team Patient Care Family Support Community Educational Programs

Family Support

Hospice's holistic approach to care extends beyond the patient to his or her family. Professional support for grief/loss and stress management is provided from the time a patient enters hospice. Our social work team works with your family to make the final moments with your loved one the best they can be. They will walk with you through the stages of grief and loss throughout the journey. After a patient's death, our bereavement services continue to provide family support for at least one year following a patient's death.

Support Groups

In addition to the care our grief and bereavement counselors provide hospice patients and their families, the Good Samaritan social work team offers a number of support services available to families as well as the general public, including:

Good Sam’s Hope - Series of groups for school-aged children, offered in conjunction with various school systems. Designed to help children express and understand grief. To find out more information on how to start a group at your child's school, please call Karen Mayhew at (540) 776-0198.
Living With Loss - Support group for adults grieving the loss of a loved one. Weekly sessions run for 8 weeks and combine education and group activities for discussion. Class is held four times per year. Pre-registration is required.
Hope & Hot Chocolate - Held throughout the holiday season to help bereaved persons cope effectively with the demands of the holidays.
Widow's Lunch Group - An opportunity for those who have experienced the loss of a spouse or partner to get together for casual lunch and conversation. Women meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 11:30 AM . Call (540) 776-0198 for locations.
Stepping Stones - Support group for children who have suffered the loss of a parent or guardian. Meetings are held the 2nd Thursday of every month, Sept.-May, 5:30-8:30 p.m. To register your child or for more information, please call Carolyn White at 776-0198 or 769-0122.

It is the hope that this on-going group will provide children who have experienced such a loss the opportunity to establish continuing relationships with one another.

It is not the intent of this group to provide or take the place of counseling, but is the intent to provide children with this shared experience the opportunity to interact socially in an accepting and fun environment.

Stepping Stones will allow children who have suffered this loss to know they aren't alone. It will provide them an environment where they don't feel so separate and different from their peers.

During the meetings, children will have many opportunities to meet and get to know one another as well as enjoy games, crafts, and "mystery guest" entertainers.

Trained volunteers and facilitators will be present to interact with the children.