Hospice of Central Pennsylvania seeks to address the emotional needs of families both during their loved one’s illness and during bereavement after their loved one’s death. We design our services to reassure clients that grieving is a normal part of life and that they are not alone in having deep feelings of sorrow. We offer support in many forms, including, home visits, educational materials, support groups, social programs, phone contacts and community memorial services. This variety of services allows family members to select those activities or materials that will be most helpful to them.

Support Groups

Bereavement support groups permit family members to meet others who are experiencing a comparable situation and similar emotions. The following paragraphs describe opportunities for individuals to participate in bereavement support groups and other programs that are sponsored by Hospice of Central Pennsylvania. All programs and groups are open to the entire community without charge.

General Bereavement: Passages is a support group for adults of all ages who have lost a loved one. This group also includes education regarding grief and related topics. Passages meets monthly in two locations: Enola and Carlisle.

Adult Children: Generations is a support group for adult children who have experienced the death of a parent, grandparent or sibling. The purpose of the group is to address the issues of loss and grief particular to adults in this age group.

Young Widows and Widowers: Harmony is a support group that focuses on the death of a spouse early in the life cycle. The group addresses grief, concerns related to children, being single again, etc. Baby-sitting is available if arrangements are made ahead of time.

Social Programs

Ladies Lunch and Men’s Breakfast: Each month Hospice of Central Pennsylvania schedules a lunch meeting for ladies and a breakfast meeting for men at various East / West Shore restaurants. These no-host gatherings are designed to help widows/widowers to meet and talk with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

Memorial Services

Each Fall Hospice of Central Pennsylvania conducts community-wide memorial services. These non-denominational services allow families and friends to honor and remember their loved ones. This year's service will be on sunday, November 23, 2008 at 2 p.m. Please click here for details.

We are offering a special two-session education support group on "Coping with the Holidays" on December 4th and December 11th, 2008. Please see the click here for the flyer which provides, time, location and registration information.

We also host our Tree of Light ceremony in early December at the foot of the Walnut Street Bridge . During this ceremony we light a large evergreen tree decorated with lights, each of which represents someone special in whose name an individual from the community has made a gift to Hospice. This magnificent tree remains lit throughout the holiday season.

How To Obtain Bereavement Support

For specific times and dates for our support groups and memorial services, please check our Calendar of Events. We ask that you please call ahead to let us know that you plan to attend and to verify the location. (717 732-1000). Please also join us for several special programs in the Summer/Fall of 2008 for the newly bereaved and those learning to cook for one. We are also offering a 6-week series on Growing Through Grief in three locations during October and November 2008.

In addition to the programs outlined above, we have educational materials for all age groups and would be happy to share them with you. We can also provide information and make referrals as appropriate for relevant community services provided by other agencies.

Our bereavement programs are open to the entire community, regardless of whether your loved one was cared for by our agency. If you have specific needs, desire more information on any of our bereavement services or would like to add your name to our mailing list, please call 717-732-1000 or 866-779-7374 and ask to speak to Cheryl Sheedy, Glenda Trumpower or Heather Menapace. You may also e-mail us at bereavement@hospiceofcentralpa.org

Support Links

The web sites shown below provide additional information and resources regarding dealing with grief and loss:

General Bereavement
www.webhealing.com – Resources dealing with crisis, grief and healing
www.beyondindigo.com – Dealing with feelings of grief and loss
www.growthhouse.org – Wide range of resources for end of life care, grief and loss
www.compassionatefriends.org – Grief support after the death of a child
www.griefnet.org – Internet community of people who have experienced grief and loss
www.centerforloss.com – The Center for Loss and Life Transition offers resources to assist people who are grieving

Grieving Child
www.fernside.org – Support and resources for grieving children and their parents
www.kidskonnected.org – Friendship, education and support for kids who have a parent with cancer
www.beyondindigo.com - Support for grieving children
www.highmarkcaringplace.com - Information on peer support to children and families grieving the death of a parent, caregiver or sibling