Upcoming Seminar on Monday, January 13: “Identity Theft: Tips For Preventing It From Happening To You”

Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in America. “The 2013 Identity Fraud Report released in February 2013 by Javelin Strategy & Research reports that in 2012 identity fraud incidents increased by more than one million victims and fraudsters stole more than $21 billion, the highest amount since 2009. The study found 12.6 million victims of identity fraud in the United States in the past year, which equates to 1 victim every 3 seconds.”  (Source: http://www.identitytheftassistance.org)

This may seem like an unusual topic for a bereavement program, but there are two primary reasons this seminar will be offered at this time: (1) identity theft can greatly complicate an already stressful time following the death of a loved one; (2) a criminal might try to steal the information of your deceased loved one (i.e., social security number), which would create even more problems in settling estates, succession, etc.

Because this topic creates much discussion, there will be approximately an optional 30-minute discussion following the seminar.

When?—January 13 from 6pm-7:30pm (30 minutes added for discussion).

Where?--LCCU Conference Room (#140) Louisiana Central Credit Union Building at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd.

Link to “Light a Candle: Online Interactive Ritual”

“Light a Candle: Online Interactive Ritual”

Link to “Grief during the Holidays: Ways to Cope” By Marty Tousley, CNS-BC, FT, DCC Grief Counselor

“Grief during the Holidays: Ways to Cope” By Marty Tousley, CNS-BC, FT, DCC Grief Counselor

Link to “Tips for the Bereaved: Handling the Holidays” by Dr. Gwen Firestone

“Tips for the Bereaved: Handling the Holidays” by Dr. Gwen Firestone

Link to “Choose Positive Memories During this Season of Hope” by Patrick T. Malone

“Choose Positive Memories During this Season of Hope” by Patrick T. Malone

“Somebody’s Angel” by Mandisa

Link to “Helping Yourself Heal During the Holiday Season” by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.

“Helping Yourself Heal During the Holiday Season” by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.

Map to Grace Lutheran for Semi-Annual Memorial Service tomorrow

Our semi-annual Memorial Service will be tomorrow at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church at 5800 Canal Blvd., NOLA. Map below:

View Larger Map

Link to “Finding Light in the Darkness: Grieving Through The Holidays” by Laura Slap-Shelton, Psy.D.

“Finding Light in the Darkness: Grieving Through The Holidays” by Laura Slap-Shelton, Psy.D.

Social Events for Wednesday, December 18

• “Heart2Heart Connections” for Widows – Wednesday, December 18 from 10am-11:30am at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd., NOLA, LCCU Conference Room #140
• “Coffee & Handshakes” for Widowers – Wednesday, December 18 from 10am-11:30am at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd., Ste 155, NOLA, St. Joseph Bereavement Office

Link to “Twelve Things to Remember about the Holidays and Grief” by Deb Kosmer

“Twelve Things to Remember about the Holidays and Grief” by Deb Kosmer

Link to “At Thanksgiving, Say Their Name” by Tom Zuba

Link to “At Thanksgiving, Say Their Name” by Tom Zuba

Upcoming Seminar on Monday, December 9: “Honoring the Memory of Your Loved One During the Holidays”

Do you find yourself dreading this holiday season? So many bereaved express concerns about this particular time of year and how they are going to “deal” with the changes of not having their loved one with them. This seminar will give you many ideas for ways to honor your loved one’s memory during this holiday season. You will also benefit from being in the midst of others who are dealing with many of the same questions and concerns.

When?—December 9 from 6pm-7pm

Where?--LCCU Conference Room (#140) Louisiana Central Credit Union Building at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd.

Link to “Getting Through The Holidays After Your Friend Dies” from FriendGrief

“Getting Through The Holidays After Your Friend Dies” from FriendGrief

Link to “Incorporating Loss into Our Holiday Rituals” By Candice Courtney

“Incorporating Loss into Our Holiday Rituals” By Candice Courtney

Link to “SUPPORTING CHILDREN DEALING WITH GRIEF DURING THE HOLIDAYS: TIPS TO HELP”

This article was specifically written to provide suggestions to families who have had a military death. Even so, there are ideas included which are helpful, no matter what the manner of death was.

“SUPPORTING CHILDREN DEALING WITH GRIEF DURING THE HOLIDAYS: TIPS TO HELP”

Social Event for Thursday, November 21: “Haven of Hope” for Adult Children

On Thursday, November 21, 2013, St. Joseph Hospice will host our “Haven of Hope” social event for the adult children of our St. Joseph Hospice patients. You are invited to attend this bi-monthly event, designed specifically to create a connection between the adult children of our St. Joseph Hospice patients. This is a social group, and NOT a support group, although you should feel a sense of support as a result of the social interaction.

For each meeting, we will provide a light meal (i.e., finger sandwiches w/dessert and coffee/tea/water). No registration needed.

For more information, please call Kim at (504) 734-0140 or contact via e-mail at stjosephnober@yahoo.com.

TIME: 6pm-7:30pm

LOCATION:

St. Joseph Hospice & Palliative Care

824 Elmwood Park Blvd. Ste. 155

New Orleans, LA 70123

Just What Is “Coffee & Handshakes?”

“At ‘Coffee & Handshakes’ bereaved male spouses gather to meet, greet, eat, talk, laugh, cry, listen, and offer support to each other. We understand that grieving is an individual process and we can’t solve every problem or make everything right. Our role is simply to walk beside you, be your friend and not a grief counselor or grief ‘expert.’ Instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, we walk with you and share your pain and touch your wounded heart with a gentle and tender hand to help you cope and grieve in a healthy way. We can be that kind of friend that can sit in silence with you in your moment of despair and confusion or be with those who would rather do more practical things. We have no formal agenda—you will set the agenda based upon your needs. We look forward to meeting with you every third Wednesday of each month to aid and support in the healing of a friend’s grieving heart.” Brother Dale (“Coffee & Handshakes” Meeting Facilitator)

The next meeting will be on November 20 from 10-11:30am in the St. Joseph Hospice Office at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd. Ste 155, NOLA.

Social Events on Wednesday, November 20 (Special locations—please note)

• “Heart2Heart Connections” for Widows – Wednesday, November 20 from 10am-11:30am at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd., NOLA, St. Joseph Bereavement Office (SPECIAL LOCATION FOR THIS MONTH DUE TO A MEETING IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM)
• “Coffee & Handshakes” for Widowers – Wednesday, November 20 from 10am-11:30am at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd., Ste 155, NOLA, St. Joseph Hospice Team Office

“Handling Grief Through the Holiday Season” Presentation by Compassionate Friends and Open to Hope

Some of you may be unable to attend a local Holiday seminar, so here is an opportunity for you to participate from the comfort of your home.

“Handling Grief Through the Holiday Season” Presentation by Compassionate Friends and Open to Hope

Some of you may be unable to attend a local Holiday seminar, so here is an opportunity for you to participate from the comfort of your home.

“Handling the Holidays” Seminar at St. Christopher Catholic Church’s Bereavement Group on Thursday, November 14

If, for some reason, you will be unable attend the Monday, November 11, “Handling the Holidays” Seminar at St. Joseph Hospice (see previous blog post for details), you will have another opportunity. I (Kim Smith) will be presenting a slightly shorter version of the seminar for the Bereavement Group of St. Christopher Catholic Church.

When? Wednesday, November 14 at 6:15pm

Where? St. Christopher Parish Center (next to church), 3900 Derbigny St. , Metairie, Louisiana 70001

You do not have to be a regular member of their group to attend the seminar.

Link to “Getting Through Halloween after Child’s Death” by Cathy Seehuetter

“Getting Through Halloween after Child’s Death” by Cathy Seehuetter

Community Opportunity: GriefShare “Surviving the Holidays” Event

GriefShare, a Christian-based grief ministry, will be offering a “Surviving the Holidays” seminar:

St. Matthew's Methodist Church, 6017 Camphor Street, Metairie, LA 70003
Saturday, Nov 09, 2013
9:00 am – 11:30 am

GriefShare: Surviving the Holidays from Church Initiative on Vimeo.

December 7 Memorial Service Invitations

The invitations for our December 7, 2013 Memorial Service your loved ones who went in the mail on Wednesday, October 9. If your loved one passed between April 1, 2013-September 30, 2013 and your family has not received an invitation yet or it has been misplaced, please call Kim at (504) 734-0140 or e-mail stjosephnober@yahoo.com to request another be sent. The deadline for RSVP’s is Friday, November 8, 2013.

Upcoming Seminar on Monday, November 11: “Handling the Holidays”

Each year we receive more questions about how to deal with the holidays than about any other topic. As a result, we have devoted 2 monthly seminars to that topic. Have you seen specific dates coming on the upcoming calendar and cringed? Are you planning to “escape” the holidays? Please attend either one or both of these seminars and consider “attacking the holidays” instead of allowing them to “attack you.”

When?—November 11 from 6pm-7pm

Where?--LCCU Conference Room (#140) Louisiana Central Credit Union Building at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2013 Invitation

Upcoming Seminar on Monday, October 14—“Cherished Memories”

When you think of your loved one, what comes to mind—a special vacation, your wedding day, the day she was born, his graduation day, Mardi Gras parades, picnics by the lakefront…? We are going to discuss the importance of cherishing those memories and some practical suggestions of how that can be done. Please be thinking about some special memories as you prepare to come to this seminar.

When?—October 14 from 6pm-7pm

Where?--LCCU Conference Room (#140) Louisiana Central Credit Union Building at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd.

Upcoming Seminar for Monday, September 9—“Complicated Mourning”

This seminar has been designed to address the topic of complicated mourning. What are the factors predictive of complicated mourning? Is there anything you can do to keep mourning from becoming “complicated?” If so, what might that be? How do you determine whether what you are experiencing is a normal part of the grief process or something that might need some therapeutic intervention.

Link to “Open to Hope Foundation”

“Open to Hope Foundation”—Information from their site: “The OpenToHope.com website is an online community where people can find and share inspirational stories of life, loss and love.  We encourage our visitors to read, listen, share, and contribute with honesty and compassion.” Their site covers many different types of losses, and has not only text articles but also media to help someone with his or her grief journey.

Link to Article—“Discussing death with children” by MedlinePlus

“Discussing death with children” by MedlinePlus

Link to “There Is No Right or Wrong Way to Grieve after a Loss.” (PDF) by NHPCO

“There Is No Right or Wrong Way to Grieve after a Loss.” (PDF) by NHPCO

Song of Reunion: “See You Again” by Carrie Underwood

Our SJH bereaved come from many different faith traditions, but for the majority of you, you are trusting in the hope of a reunion with your loved one who has gone from this earth. I hope this song & video by Carrie Underwood might give encouragement to you.

Grief Resources from Hospice Foundation of America

You can follow this link to the Hospice Foundation of America Grief Resources, with such articles as:

• “An Introduction to Grieving”
• “Shattering 8 Myths about Grief”
• “A Year Is a Relative Thing”
• “Guilt and Regret in Prolonged Illness”
• “Helping a Child Deal with Death”
• “Grief and the Holidays”.

You may also want to watch this video (approx. 1/2 hour) entitled “Understanding Grief.”

Some Fictional Books on Death of a Grandparent

List of fiction addressing grandparent death, grades K-6.

August 2013 4-Session Support Group (Free of Charge)-2ND REMINDER

We are offering a 4-Session Support Group for our St. Joseph Hospice family and friends. The sessions will meet the first four Thursdays in August at the St. Joseph Hospice office (Suite 155 of the Louisiana Central Credit Union Building at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd.) from 6:00pm-7:30pm. 

The group will discuss different aspects of the grief process, using Dr. William Worden’s Task Model of the Mourning Process as a general framework.

August 1 Accepting the Reality of the Loss

August 8 Working Through the Pain of Grief

August 15 Adjusting to an Environment in Which the Deceased is Missing

August 22 Emotionally Relocating the Deceased and Embracing Life Again

A small evening meal will be provided for each group meeting.

If you would like to register or just have questions, please call Kim at (504) 734-0140 or contact via e-mail at ksmith@stjosephhospice.com or stjosephnober@yahoo.com.

June 2013 Memorial Service Recap

On Saturday, June 15, 2013, we held our Semi-Annual Memorial Service at Grace Lutheran Evangelical Church (5800 Canal Blvd., NOLA). Included in the program for this service were:

• Pre-Service Music by St. Joseph Hospice Volunteer Jonathan E. Warren (Copies of his CD are on sale ($10) at the St. Joseph Hospice office.)

• Words of Inspiration

• Scripture Reading

• Congregational Songs led by our St. Joseph Hospice Friends & Family Ensemble

• A Responsorial Reading

• A Candlelighting Ritual

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Preparation of Our Memorial Wreath

• Butterfly Pins

• Reception for all attendees

Thank you to all our families who chose to participate. Our next service will be Saturday, December 7, 2013 at Grace Lutheran. That service will be similar to the one in June, with the primary difference being the preparation of the Memorial Tree instead of the wreath. Possibly you were invited to the June Memorial or maybe even a previous one, but chose not to participate for any variety of reasons (i.e., thought it was too soon after your loved one’s death, out of town, scheduling conflict), you have not missed your change to participate. Just give Kim a call at (504) 734-0140 or e-mail her at stjosephnober@yahoo.com and let her know of your desire to participate in the December service, and a special invitation will be mailed to you in October along with the other invitations for that service.

Link to “I’ll See You Again” by Westlife

Recently I was preparing for a presentation for our staff and came upon this song and video, and thought it might be helpful to someone: "I'll See You Again" by Westlife

July Seminar: “Griefbursts: What They Are and How to Deal With Them”

This seminar has been designed to explain the phenomena of “griefbursts” or “grief attacks.” They are sudden, sharp feelings of grief that can cause anxiety and pain, which may seem to come out of nowhere. Griefbursts are a normal, yet disconcerting, part of the grief process. We will discuss how to recognize them, but even more about how to deal with them when they occur.

Date: July 8, 2013

Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm

Where: LCCU Conference Room (#140) Louisiana Central Credit Union Building at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd.

August 2013 4-Session Support Group (Free of Charge)

We are offering a 4-Session Support Group for our St. Joseph Hospice family and friends. The sessions will meet each Thursday in February at the St. Joseph Hospice office (Suite 155 of the Louisiana Central Credit Union Building at 824 Elmwood Park Blvd.) from 6:00pm-7:30pm.

The group will discuss different aspects of the grief process, using Dr. William Worden’s Task Model of the Mourning Process as a general framework.

August 1 Accepting the Reality of the Loss

August 8 Working Through the Pain of Grief

August 15 Adjusting to an Environment in Which the Deceased is Missing

August 22 Emotionally Relocating the Deceased and Embracing Life Again

A small evening meal will be provided for each group meeting.

If you would like to register or just have questions, please call Kim at (504) 734-0140 or contact via e-mail at stjosephnober@yahoo.com.

Link to Article: “FATHER'S DAY AFTER YOUR DAD HAS DIED” By Neil Chethik

“FATHER'S DAY AFTER YOUR DAD HAS DIED” By Neil Chethik

Father’s Day Edition: Lessons Learned

My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” ~

Clarence Budington Kelland

You’ve probably heard it said that “lessons are better caught than taught.” What lessons did you “catch” from your father and how could you put one or more of those lessons into practice this Father’s Day?

Lesson Learned: __________________________________________________________________________

How I Will Begin Applying This Lesson: ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Father’s Day Edition: Some Resources for Dealing with Fatherloss

FOR SONS:

• FatherLoss: How Sons of All Ages Come to Terms with the Deaths of Their Dads by Neil Chetnik
• When Your Father Dies: How a Man Deals with the Loss of His Father by Dave Veerman & Bruce Barton

FOR DAUGHTERS:

• Fatherless Women: How We Change After We Lose Our Dads by Clea Simon

Father’s Day Edition: “What Can I Do to Honor My Dad’s Memory This Father’s Day?”

Father’s Day is a special day in American culture...a day set aside to honor our fathers and/or those who have filled that father-role in our lives. Traditionally, this is a day of celebration, but for many each year, the day is one more reminder that our earthly fathers are no longer with us.

Just like the other “special” days in the calendar year, please consider making a plan for how you will spend this Father’s Day. The following ideas were part of an article on Neil Chetnik’s (author of FatherLoss: How Sons Deal with the Deaths of Their Dads) website, www.fatherloss.com. (Note: These ideas could also be adapted & used for other “special” days.)

• Be a mentor to a child whose father has died or who has no father in his life.
• Write a Father's Day card focusing on the things that you loved or appreciated about your dad.
• Wear an article of your father's clothing.
• If your father loved music, spend an hour listening to his favorite album.
• If your dad loved wood-working, use his saws, hammer and wood to build something simple or begin a new project.
• Cook your father's favorite meal for your family or friends.
• Read one of the books that your father loved.
• Donate some money to your father's favorite cause.
• Contact a current father-figure in your life whom you admire and tell him so.
• If you are a father, focus on being the best father you can be to your children.

I hope these suggestions have been helpful, but if you feel that you or someone you care about needs additional support, has questions about what he/she is experiencing, or would like information about services available to him/her, please don’t hesitate to call me at (504) 734-0140 or e-mail Kim at stjosephnober@yahoo.com.