Showing Author: BRH Staff
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week
Our Grief & Loss Services counselors offer words of encouragement this week as we find ways to stay connected. National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week reminds us that there are things we can do to safeguard our mental well-being and to be aware of the warning signs of extreme distress in others. Most importantly, this week we remember that we are not alone. Grief is an expression of loss and many of us are experiencing the [...]
Stories from the Front Lines: Stacy Nichols
During the COVID-19 Pandemic the Blue Ridge Hospice team continued caring for patients. Here is Stacy's story. During the pandemic we limited how many staff members could visit a patient in-person to reduce unnecessary exposure. Not only was I working as a CNA, but I also became the face of our music therapists, volunteers, and grief counselors. I happily took on these roles for all of my patients, but I’ll never forget my experience with [...]
Overdose Awareness Day 2020
To anyone who has lost an important person to overdose: Today, August 31st, is National Overdose Awareness Day. We look at anyone who has lost a loved one to overdose with awe and reverence. Grieving the loss of someone to overdose is an incredible exercise in making sense of the overwhelming, relinquishing control, and acknowledging one’s powerlessness. Due to forces outside of yourself, you have been pushed into a journey you did not want to [...]
What Can Possibly Come from Our Pain?
What Can Possibly Come from Our Pain? What do we do with our deepest and most painful grief? Some bury the hurt deep within, while others give it words and express it openly. Some speak their grief simply, while others process their emotions through creative arts. One family took their pain and developed a video game. After the Green family’s son, Joel, died, they developed “That Dragon, Cancer” – which they describe as “an immersive [...]
Music Therapy Concerts
Our Music Therapists were able to provide socially distant concerts to patients in facilities. Our Music Therapists have missed being able to sit with patients face to face, so this was such a gift for all. We are grateful so for this opportunity! “Hidden Springs Senior Living was fortunate to start their day off with a pleasant performance by Blue Ridge Hospice Music Therapists. Residents enjoyed some time under the morning sun while having their [...]
How to Speak to a Newly Bereaved Person
How often have you felt awkward, not knowing the right thing to say after someone you know has lost a loved one? Feeling someone else’s pain, especially when we personally relate to their type of loss, can be so uncomfortable that we just want to hide away. But have you ever been on the other side of this experience? Having just experienced the death of someone you love, have your friends disappeared? Staying present can [...]
