- Archbold Hospice holds free monthly grief support sessions at the Thomas County Public Library.
- May’s session centered on processing “unfinished business” — the words and actions left behind.
- Watch to see how a volunteer is supporting families through hospice services.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Grief psychology research shows that 10 to 20 percent of people who lose someone develop what's now called Prolonged Grief Disorder.
I'm stepping into a local support group where neighbors are finding ways to cope with loss and discovering they're not alone in how deeply it lingers.
"You have to meet people where they are, and try not to put your values on theirs," said Conti.
That's Linda Conti, a bereavement coordinator who's been with Archbold for over 20 years.
She leads the Good Grief sessions every month at the Thomas County Public Library, where each meeting focuses on a different theme.
This month, the group opened up about unfinished business.
"It can be anything, it's, I never told them goodbye, and that could be something troublesome for somebody, or they could have told them, you never answered me when I asked you that question, and that could be on many levels of hurt and pain," said Conti.
One person who's always there to support grieving families is Rich Curtis.
He's volunteered with Archbold Hospice for the past five years, walking alongside patients in their final days and staying connected to their loved ones after.
"for me, because I've had that relationship with them before their loved one passes, the family of the person who is at the end of their life is also part of our service, and so we get to know the family and the patient, and through that, you know, once the patient passes away, I ideally will continue that relationship with the family and really help them through that grieving process by just listening, mostly," said Curtis.
But Rich doesn't just listen.
As an art professor, he uses his creativity to comfort families—sometimes painting the hands of patients and their loved ones, capturing one final moment of connection.
" I also try to use my art making in that relationship, and so giving them a gift of a drawing or something, or just helping them process their own ideas through art is another way I work with them," said Curtis.
Those paintings can become keepsakes, something families hold onto as they slowly figure out what comes next.
" The caregivers need as much support as the patient, really, because they are the ones that are left behind, and they are the ones that take the brunt of the caregiving to begin with, and then after they're gone, there's this void in their life that they have to sort of reckon with and deal with and then fill, and so it's a process," said Curtis.
Other than the Good Grief sessions, Archbold Hospice provides the following services:
- Home-based care
- Inpatient hospice care at the Wight Inpatient Hospice Center
- Pain and symptom management
- Respite care for caregivers
- Emotional and spiritual support
You can conact Linda Conti, Bereavement coordinator to reserve your seat by calling 229-584-5505.
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