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Providing compassionate in-home and out-patient care in Plymouth, NH

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bereavement support

‘Holiday Blues’ Grief & Loss Support Group

November 1, 2024

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health Offers ‘Holiday Blues’ Grief and Loss Support Group to Help Community Members Cope During the Holiday Season.

As the holiday season approaches, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is pleased to announce the ‘Holiday Blues’ Grief and Loss Support Group, a supportive resource for those facing feelings of grief and loss during this challenging time. This four-week group will meet Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m., from November 26th to December 17th, at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center. Led by Hospice Chaplain Guy Tillson, the sessions will provide a compassionate environment where participants can share their experiences and discover helpful strategies for coping with grief during the holidays.

For many, the holidays bring unique stress and emotional challenges, especially for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one. This support group will cover various topics, including managing the stress of grief, tips for navigating holiday gatherings, and practical advice on what can help when grief feels overwhelming.

“Grief can feel even heavier during the holiday season, and it’s important to know you’re not alone,” says Guy Tillson, Hospice Chaplain of Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health. “The ‘Holiday Blues’ group offers a safe space for sharing and support, as well as coping tools to help you navigate these difficult weeks.”

Community members interested in joining the ‘Holiday Blues’ Grief and Loss Support Group are encouraged to register with Chaplain Guy Tillson before Wednesday, November 20th, by calling 603-536-2232 or emailing info@pbhha.org.

Event Details:

  • What: ‘Holiday Blues’ Grief and Loss Support Group
  • When: Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m., November 26 – December 17, 2024
  • Where: Plymouth Regional Senior Center, 8 Depot Street, Plymouth, NH
  • Registration: Contact Guy Tillson at 603-536-2232 or info@pbhha.org before November 20, 2024

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is honored to offer this resource as part of its commitment to supporting the community through every stage of the caregiving and healing journey. For more information, please visit www.pbhha.org or call 603-536-2232.

Filed Under: Bereavement Tagged With: bereavement support, Community Support, Free community support groups, Holidy Blues, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health

Announcing New Grief & Loss Support Group Series Starting June 25

June 17, 2024

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health will begin its next Grief & Loss Support Group on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

The topic for this six-week series is “Does It Ever Stop?” This is a question that comes to most mourners sometimes as they make their way through coming to terms with the loss they have endured. Free Grief & Loss Support groups offered at Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health, Plymouth, NH

The late Queen Elizabeth II once said, “Grief is the price we pay for love.” To the extent that we have invested and shared our love with another, we are likely to feel a comparable depth and soreness of sadness in losing them. A simple answer to the topic question is “No” because most of us believe that love is eternal, so the ache of grieving may endure for long stretches of time.

What can stop is the intensity of the hurting, so that the mourner may eventually come to an emotional space that is not as debilitating or devastating as when freshly felt. There are no shortcuts or easy steps toward arriving at this place. Grief experts do speak of such notions as acceptance, letting go, resolution, and finding meaning. We will look at and examine these ideas while continuing to assure that our group is a safe place for anyone regardless of where they find themselves as they move along in processing their grief.

Those interested in attending must pre-register by contacting Guy Tillson, Bereavement Coordinator and Hospice Chaplain. He can be reached by email at gtillson@pbhha.org or by phone at 603 536-2232. He will address any questions or concerns you may have. There is no cost to participate in the group. We meet on Tuesday mornings, beginning on June 25, 2024, at 10:30am, in the upstairs art room (accessible by elevator) at the Plymouth Senior Center. We hope you will join our safe and supportive series navigating the journey of grief.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is a trusted, nonprofit agency proudly serving 32 towns in central and northern NH since 1967. Expert services include at-home healthcare and physical therapies (VNA), hospice and palliative care, and community programs including American Red Cross CPR/AED/FA, Caregiver and Bereavement Support Groups and Ask A Pemi-Baker Nurse days at your local senior centers. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals and your neighbors.  In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

Pemi-Baker is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org  Like our Facebook Page: @pemibakerhospicehomehealth

Filed Under: Bereavement Tagged With: bereavement support, grief & loss support, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health

“What Hurts? What Helps?” Next 6 week Grief and Loss Support Group Starting June 27th, 2023

June 20, 2023

Though clinical studies on the impact of bereavement and grief continue to abound, the real “experts” on grieving and mourning are the people who have suffered and are enduring a loss in their lives.  Significant losses are not only deaths, but job loss, the end of a relationship, or geographic relocation.Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health Grief and Loss support group

The next six-week Grief and Loss Support Group to be offered by Pemi-Baker Hospice and Home Health is entitled “What Hurts?  What Helps?”  Participants will be guided and directed in using a journal to monitor their experiences and discoveries of what has been helpful or non-productive as they process their losses.  Healing can come through sharing and dialogue with others about those awarenesses.

This group will begin on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at 10:30am in the upstairs Art Room at the Plymouth Area Regional Senior Center.  The Art Room is accessible by elevator or stairs.  Except for the Tuesday Fourth of July holiday, the group will continue on Tuesday mornings through August 8, 2023.  Participation is in-person.

There is no cost for participation in the group, but you must pre-register by contacting Guy Tillson, Hospice Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator, by email at gtillson@pbhha.org or by leaving him a message by phone at Pemi-Baker Hospice and Home Health at 603 536-2232.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is a trusted, nonprofit agency proudly serving 29 towns in central and northern NH since 1967. Expert services include at-home healthcare and physical therapies (VNA), hospice and palliative care, and community programs including: American Red Cross CPR/AED/FA, Caregiver and Bereavement Support Groups and Ask A Pemi-Baker Nurse days at your local senior centers. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals and also your neighbors.  In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

Pemi-Baker is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org  Like our Facebook Page: @pemibakerhospicehomehealth

Filed Under: Bereavement, Free Community Service Tagged With: bereavement support, free community service, Grief & Loss Support Group, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health

Winter Grief Support Group Series

January 12, 2023

Offered by Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health and Plymouth Regional Senior Center.

Grief is the complex of feelings one experiences after loss- any kind of loss.  Though we usually associate the idea of grief with the death of someone we have known and loved, grief is also experienced following termination of employment, destruction of one’s home after fire or natural disaster, divorce or the breakup of a relationship, relocation to an unfamiliar place where you know no one, loss of one’s finances through bad investments or crime, or the death of a pet.  Many people choose to brush off grief or ignore it, but it really does not go away on its own.  It can be helpful to be in the company of others who are also coming to terms with their grief.

PEMI-BAKER HOSPICE AND HOME HEALTH offers grief support groups at various times throughout the calendar year to assist persons in our area who would like help and companionship in processing their losses.

GRIEF 101: The Basics

The next group, “GRIEF 101:  The Basics”, will begin on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.  There will be an in-person morning session at 11:00am, held in the Exercise Room at the Plymouth Area Regional Senior Center.  There will be a late afternoon session, accessible virtually only, beginning at 5:30pm.  Virtual participation is also possible for the morning session.  ALL virtual participants will need to download the app for TEAMS (It’s like ZOOM) on their devices.  There is no cost to attend either session.

Each group will go for six weeks, ending on March 21, 2023.  The group meetings will include presentations by the facilitator, worksheets, and sharing and discussion on such topics as:

  • “Types of Grief”
  • “What Is Grief Work?”
  • “Principles of Transformation”
  • “What About Me?”

You must pre-register by Wednesday, February 7, 2023, in order to attend so that we know how many to prepare for.  The groups will be facilitated by Guy Tillson, Pemi-Baker’s Bereavement Coordinator.  You may contact him by email: gtillson@pbhha.org  or by leaving a message by phone at (603) 536-2232.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is a trusted, nonprofit agency proudly serving 29 towns in central and northern NH since 1967. Expert services include at-home healthcare and physical therapies (VNA), hospice and palliative care, and community programs including: American Red Cross CPR/AED/FA, Caregiver and Bereavement Support Groups and Ask A Pemi-Baker Nurse days at your local senior centers. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals and also your neighbors.  In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

Pemi-Baker is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org  Like our Facebook Page: @pemibakerhospicehomehealth

Filed Under: Bereavement Tagged With: bereavement support, Education, free support group, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health, Plymouth Regional Senior Center

Holiday Grief and Loss Support Groups

October 28, 2022

The merry and festive atmosphere of the upcoming fall and winter holidays can pose a challenge to those who have endured significant losses. The losses do not have to be the deaths of loved ones. They can include such things as a divorce or the breakup of a relationship, being laid off from a job, relocation from a long-familiar setting to a brand-new place where all seems strange, the death of a pet, or the loss of physical health and powers due to a medical condition.  In any case, one may not feel at all like celebrating even though it seems like everyone else does.

To address and explore this concern, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health will be offering TWO support groups beginning on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. A morning group will meet in-person at 11:00am at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center. A late afternoon virtual meeting group will begin on the same date at 5:30pm. Those interested in this group will need to download the app for TEAMS on their computer.

The groups meet for SIX sessions (all Tuesdays) on November 22, November, 29, December 6, December 20, and December 27, 2022; and, January 3, 2023. Please note there is NO MEETING on Tuesday, December 13, 2022. The energy generated by the group discussion and sharing determines the length of the group session, though we will definitely conclude by 12:30pm for the morning group and by 7:00pm for the late afternoon group. Group sessions include a combination of educational presentations, shared discussion, and reflective activities.

There is no cost to participate in either group; however, you MUST pre-register to attend by contacting Guy Tillson, Hospice Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator, by email gtillson@pbhha.org or by phone 603 536-2232.  The groups are a service offered to our larger community by Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is a trusted, nonprofit agency proudly serving 29 towns in central and northern NH since 1967. Expert services include at-home healthcare and physical therapies (VNA), hospice and palliative care, and community programs including: American Red Cross CPR/AED/FA, Caregiver and Bereavement Support Groups and Ask A Pemi-Baker Nurse days at your local senior centers. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals and also your neighbors.  In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

~written by Guy Tillson, Hospice Chaplain & Bereavement Coordinator

Filed Under: Bereavement, Education, Free Community Service, Press Release Tagged With: bereavement support, Grief Support

Free Summer Support Groups Offered by Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health

June 21, 2022

Pemi-Baker Hospice and Home Health will be offering two new Grief and Loss Support Groups, beginning on Tuesday, July 5, 2022.  The groups will deal with issues pertaining to loss and grief as these experiences impact the lives of individuals.  The six sessions will draw on insights from the works of David Kessler, Kenneth Doka, and Alan Wolfelt, three leading voices in the area of grief studies.

There will be TWO groups:

A morning group will meet at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center from 11:00am through 12:30pm.  We can accommodate TEN IN-PERSON participants.  Group members will sit socially-distanced from one another.  Masks are NOT required, but are recommended for those who wish to be cautious.  We can also accommodate persons virtually via ZOOM.

There will also be a late afternoon group from 5:30pm through 7:00pm.  The late afternoon group is ZOOM-accessible ONLY.

There is no cost for participating in these groups, though participants MUST pre-register by contacting Guy Tillson, Bereavement Coordinator, at gtillson@pbhha.org or by calling 603 536-2232.  Each group will go for six sessions.  The size of each group and the energy generated by discussion and sharing determines the length of each session.  Though we allow for an hour and a half, we normally go for about an hour.

Pemi-Baker also offers a monthly support group for at-home caregivers.  This group meets on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of each month at 10:00am.  We can accommodate FIVE IN-PERSON participants in the Conference Room at Pemi-Baker Hospice and Home Health, 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, in Plymouth.  In-person participants are required to wear masks.  Virtual participation is also available via ZOOM.  As with the grief and loss groups, please contact Guy Tillson at gtillson@pbhha.org or by calling 603 536-2232.

With over 55 years of experience, serving clients from 29 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is committed to creating healthier communities. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, and Community Programs including: American Red Cross CPR/AED/FA, Caregiver Support Groups and Grief and Bereavement Support Groups. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals in the business because of their hearts. In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

Pemi-Baker is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org  Like our Facebook Page: @pemibakerhospicehomehealth

Filed Under: Bereavement, Education, Free Community Service, Press Release Tagged With: bereavement support, Caregiver support, Caregivers, free support group, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health

Spring Grief & Loss Support Groups Starting April 26th!

April 15, 2022

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health (PBH&HH) would like to welcome you to their FREE grief support groups being held on Tuesday mornings, 11-12:30pm, at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center. There is also a Zoom only group that meets later in the day from 5:30-7pm. Anyone who has lost a loved one is welcome. Topics include the stress of grief, tips for coping during the holidays and what helps when grief hurts.

Pre-registration is required for this 6 week session and the in-person, Tuesday morning meetings require a mask. Please call Guy Tillson, Hospice Chaplain at 603-536-2232 or email him at info@pbhha.org to register or learn more. We hope you will join us and find strength with others walking a similar path.

Tuesdays, April 26th-May 31st: 11am-12:30pm or 5:30pm-7pm

With over 55 years of experience, serving clients from 29 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is committed to creating healthier communities. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, and Community Programs including: American Red Cross CPR/AED/FA, Caregiver Support Groups and Grief and Bereavement Support Groups. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals in the business because of their hearts.

In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

Filed Under: Bereavement, Free Community Service Tagged With: bereavement support, free community service, free support group, Grief Support, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health

Loss & Grief: Some basics in processing personal grief

January 13, 2022

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is offering a FREE grief and loss support series starting Tuesday, February 15th running through March 29th, 2022. Late morning and early evening times will accommodate all schedules and we invite anyone experiencing a personal loss to join us.

Since Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ pioneering work On Death and Dying in 1969, research and study on the very human experiences of grief and loss have come a very long way. The “five stages of grief” entered quickly into the storehouse of wisdom in the popular culture. Many people can tick off “Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance” when asked about the process of grieving. As helpful as these categories can be in opening up discussion, the truth is that “stage theory” has fallen on hard times in psychological studies.

Put simply, life experience is much too dynamic and deeply personal to fall into neat and progressive stages that follow one upon the other in predictable fashion. Kubler-Ross herself did not see her theory as being that way. It took our characteristically American linear way of thinking to do that. Generally speaking, we like things neat, but life is messy. Over the course of almost four decades, other theorists have included additional features in grieving, such as “shock”, “guilt”, “retreating”, “reflection”, “isolation”, and “working through”. There is a lot to consider if we are in the thick of trying to come to terms with a significant loss that has come into our life.

In a practical effort to begin to explore the intricate web of responses and reactions that human beings experience following upon significant life-losses, the Hospice program of Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health in Plymouth will be offering a series on “Loss and Grief: Some Basics” as part of its Bereavement services. The series consists of six sessions. Each session will include a brief educational presentation, a reflective exercise to assist participants in focusing on their experience of loss, and a time for sharing, questions, and discussion. Sessions will include such topics as: “My Concept of Loss”, “Evaluating My Loss”, “Coping Skills”, “Manifestations of Grief”, “What Helps and What Hurts?”, “Acceptance”, “My New Reality”, and “Recognizing My Strengths”.

The six week series will be offered on Tuesdays at two different times: a late morning group 11am-12:30pm or an evening group 5:30pm -7pm. In-person participation is limited to five people for each group; there will be hand sanitizer, socially-distanced seating and masks are required. Please pre-register with Guy Tillson, Bereavement Coordinator by email (gtillson@pbhha.org) or by phone (603-536-2232). Pre-registration required by Tuesday, February 8th, 2022. Ask about possible accommodations virtually via ZOOM.

With over 55 years of experience, serving clients from 29 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is committed to creating healthier communities. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, and Community Programs including: American Red Cross CPR/AED/FA, Caregiver Support Groups and Grief and Bereavement Support Groups. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals in the business because of their hearts. In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

Pemi-Baker is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org  Like our Facebook Page: @PBCH4

Filed Under: Bereavement, Education, Free Community Service Tagged With: bereavement support, Coping skills, Five stages of grief, Grief, manifestations of grief, Pemi-Baker Hospice and Home Health

Grief and Bereavement Support Group- 6 Week Session

June 24, 2021

Pemi-Baker Community Health is pleased to resume offering its in-person community-based support group for grief and bereavement. We will be starting a 6 week series with meetings being held at the Boulder Point Conference room of Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth.

Because of COVID19 restrictions on social gatherings, many persons are living with unresolved and unprocessed issues of grief and loss due to abbreviated funeral or memorial services. We hope this will be a first step toward helping people come to terms with that bereavement and other issues of loss that have been neglected during the height of the pandemic. We will be making use of GRIEF ONE DAY AT A TIME by Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD. Dr. Wolfelt is a noted grief educator, having written several books about healing personal grief. His expertise derives from his compassionate interaction and caring service with mourners, listening to and reflecting on their responses to loss. He is the Founding Director of The Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado. Although our group is offered for support rather than clinical intervention, the use of reading materials for the purpose of self-care and personal growth and healing is sometimes called bibliotherapy. The books will be made available at our first session of the group. We ask, if possible, for group members to make a donation toward defraying the cost of purchasing the books which group members will be able to keep for themselves. No one will be turned away if they are unable to make a donation.

Grief and Bereavement Support Group (Six Week Session)

Starting: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021- September 7th, 2021 (11:30am-1pm)

The first session of the Grief and Bereavement Group will meet on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at 11:30am. We will meet in the Conference Room at the Boulder Point site of Speare Memorial Hospital. Participants will need to comply with checking in there. We are limiting the group to ten participants in order to allow for ample social distancing in the meeting area. Participants are also asked to have masks with them for use. At our first meeting, we will review some basic guidelines for group participation, introduce ourselves to each other, and share the nature of the loss that brought us to the group. Using Dr. Wolfelt’s book, we will look at the meditation for that day, letting that be the springboard for our discussion and interaction. To prepare for the next session, the “homework” for participants will be to read each daily meditation throughout the following week. Our discussion at each session will emerge from our responses and reactions to the week’s meditations- what we liked or did not like, what was helpful or not. The energy of the group will determine the length of the gathering, but we will conclude before 1:00pm. The Grief and Bereavement Group will meet for six sessions, concluding on September 7, 2021.  After some weeks’ break, we hope to be able to begin a new Grief and Bereavement Group on October 12, 2021.

You MUST pre-register in order to participate.  Please do so BEFORE WEDNESDAY, July 21, 2021. To register, please contact the facilitator, Guy Tillson, PBCH Hospice Spiritual Counselor and Bereavement Counselor, online via email at gtillson@pbhha.org or by phone at 536-2232, XT 318.  He will get back to you as promptly as possible. If you would prefer to participate virtually by ZOOM, please indicate that, and we will attempt to accommodate you. The group is limited to TEN persons, so registrations will be accepted on a “first come, first served” basis.

~written by Guy Tillson

Filed Under: Bereavement, Free Community Service, Hospice & Palliative Care Tagged With: Alan Wolfelt, bereavement support, Free community program, Grief, Grief One Day At a Time

Soothing Seasonal Sadness

December 14, 2020

In my years working as a clinical mental health counselor, I could always count on having a few clients who suffered with Seasonal Affective Disorder. That’s psychiatric lingo for mood disturbances worsened by seasonal changes. Appropriately, its acronym is SAD. Particularly as we lose daylight hours, especially when we turn the clocks back as the fall moves into becoming winter, some people get in a sad and funky mood. At the mental health center I worked for, we purchased a device called a light box which patients could borrow for short spaces of time. The light box radiates light which helps the patients in elevating their mood so that the sadness would not be so pervasive or overwhelming.

Currently, we are experiencing stretches of time besides this season of fall turning into winter. It is the holiday season. It is a season of caution and care as we try to safeguard ourselves against the coronavirus. It also an ongoing season of grief and mourning for those whose loved ones have died, whether from COVID19 or other causes. So, perhaps, we are enduring multiple seasons of compounded sadness in varying degrees of intensity. Sorry to say, there are no easy remedies to “the blahs” that may befall us at the present time, though there may be some temporary relief to turn our awareness from it all so that we do not become overshadowed by a moody cloud. Here, I will suggest some short, simple practices.

 First of all, fresh air and physical movement are valuable. Naturally, as the weather gets colder, we need to moderate our exposure to the outside air. A brief walk around your yard or on your porch or deck for ten or fifteen minutes, breathing normally, with some movement of your limbs will help to “clear house” and “keep the motor going”.

Secondly, the simple act of washing your face two or three times a day can be very refreshing. You can experiment with what seems to work best for you- water temperature that is hot, lukewarm, or cold and a facecloth that is thin or plush. The temperature of the water and the texture of the fabric revitalizes our pores, wakening up our complexion.

Following on this, there are the practices of hand and head massages. Start by rubbing your hands together as you would if you were washing your hands at your sink. Allow each hand to move over its partner, gently rubbing over the back of the hand, then the palm, and moving through the fingers. Starting at the wrist of one hand, let your thumb and fingers of the other hand softly massage the wrist, and then move across the back of the hand, and continue to gently massage each knuckle and joint of each finger. As you finish, use your fingertips to move in a circle in your palm. Then attend to the other hand. You may also want to lightly rub your palms together or even to softly clap your hands. To massage your head, gently let your fingertips move through your hair (or what you have left of it!). Do this a few times. Then gently tap your fingertips throughout and across your whole scalp, not forgetting the areas around your ears or at the base of your skull down to your neck. This also stimulates the movement of energy in our cranial area.

 I began this sharing by mentioning the use of a light box, so I will close with a suggestion that is more meditative and reflective. The winter holidays of this time of year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Hanukkah, and the Winter Solstice) all focus on the element of light, hoping for its return and emergence from the darkness. Most craft supply stores and even some pharmacies sell small LED light battery-powered candles of various sizes. Some even have flickering flames. Though there is a lot to be said for actual candles, these are a bit safer to use. For the purpose of focusing and directing your attention, only one is necessary. Use it as the daylight is ending. Simply direct your attention to the light, bringing to mind thoughts of past good times and the joy of affection shared with loved ones. The length of time you do this for does not matter too much, but respect the rhythm of your ability to concentrate easily. This isn’t supposed to be a chore or an assignment! It seems to be more profitable to do this in a quiet time without the distraction of other noise. This can be settling to the soul and bring your day to a peaceful end.

As I indicated earlier, these are not “cures” for seasonal sadness- only suggestions for momentary relief that may help the next stretch be more tolerable and bearable. As always, take care of yourself, respecting both your own strengths and limits.

Regretfully, we are still unable to gather for our Bereavement groups due to COVID19 restrictions but Guy Tillson can meet with you one on one via ZOOM or in person following CDC guidelines for safety. To contact Guy please email him at gtillson@pbhha.org. Please visit our website for other monthly ZOOM meetings: Coffee with Caregivers and Fill Out Your Forms.

 

~Guy Tillson, MDiv, MA, PBCH Hospice Chaplain and Bereavement Counselor

Filed Under: Bereavement, Education, Press Release Tagged With: bereavement support, depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder, winter blues

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Parkinson’s Awareness Month: Recognizing the Symptoms & How Pemi-Baker Can Help. April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, a time to raise …

The Rewards of Being a Hospice Volunteer

While I was familiar with Hospice for many years, I only have been a hospice volunteer with Pemi Baker Hospice and Home Health (PBHHH) since October 2021.  When I retired, I began searching for volunteer work that would allow me to give back to my community.  A newsletter from PBHHH arrived in my email announcing training for hospice volunteers.  My family had experienced the need for hospice twice, once in Ohio and again in Florida.  The relief my family and I felt when the hospice volunteers arrived was beyond measure.  I want to bring the same kind of assistance to others.  PBHHH given me that opportunity by providing professional training with knowledgeable nurses, doctors, social workers and other health care professionals.  Their guidance has enabled me to meet the challenges of being s hospice volunteer, and I am very glad that I did it.

Connie C.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2022-06-27T12:20:25-04:00

Connie C.

While I was familiar with Hospice for many years, I only have been a hospice volunteer with Pemi Baker Hospice and Home Health (PBHHH) since October 2021.  When I retired, I began searching for volunteer work that would allow me to give back to my community.  A newsletter from PBHHH arrived in my email announcing training for hospice volunteers.  My family had experienced the need for hospice twice, once in Ohio and again in Florida.  The relief my family and I felt when the hospice volunteers arrived was beyond measure.  I want to bring the same kind of assistance to others.  PBHHH given me that opportunity by providing professional training with knowledgeable nurses, doctors, social workers and other health care professionals.  Their guidance has enabled me to meet the challenges of being s hospice volunteer, and I am very glad that I did it.
https://www.pemibakerhospicehomehealth.org/testimonials/the-rewards-of-being-a-hospice-volunteer/

You give of yourselves day & night without end!

To the Pemi-Baker Hospice Team--Words really can't express my feelings-

Your help during one of the most difficult times of my life is SO appreciated.  I'm so grateful that because of you, Doug was able to get his wish not to spend the last of his days in a hospital, but at home with those of us who loved him.

And to be constantly reassured that if I needed anything you would be there-oh my gosh-ANYTIME!  Well, you people need to know how much you are appreciated.  You give of yourselves day & night without end!  God Bless you and thank you!

Pam O.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2020-06-11T07:31:14-04:00

Pam O.

To the Pemi-Baker Hospice Team--Words really can't express my feelings- Your help during one of the most difficult times of my life is SO appreciated.  I'm so grateful that because of you, Doug was able to get his wish not to spend the last of his days in a hospital, but at home with those of us who loved him. And to be constantly reassured that if I needed anything you would be there-oh my gosh-ANYTIME!  Well, you people need to know how much you are appreciated.  You give of yourselves day & night without end!  God Bless you and thank you!
https://www.pemibakerhospicehomehealth.org/testimonials/you-give-of-yourselves-day-night-without-end/

“My home physical therapy was fantastic.”

Pemi-Baker provided very good home therapy. All their therapists were pleasant, helpful in offering suggestions for better functioning after surgery, and practiced good health protocols. They were also very prompt in showing up for scheduled appointments.

Elizabeth B.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2019-11-07T12:26:12-05:00

Elizabeth B.

Pemi-Baker provided very good home therapy. All their therapists were pleasant, helpful in offering suggestions for better functioning after surgery, and practiced good health protocols. They were also very prompt in showing up for scheduled appointments.
https://www.pemibakerhospicehomehealth.org/testimonials/weve-loved-the-swim-lessons-at-pemi-baker/

“Your generosity with your time and your loving care is appreciated more than you know.”

Thank you to everyone who played a role in taking care of my mother and giving her the freedom of remaining home while suffering from dementia. Your generosity with your time and your loving care is appreciated more than you know. A special thanks goes to Macayla and Colleen, who visited her on a regular basis, and to Lauren who was helpful in connecting us with state services.

Terry W.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2020-01-17T12:43:19-05:00

Terry W.

Thank you to everyone who played a role in taking care of my mother and giving her the freedom of remaining home while suffering from dementia. Your generosity with your time and your loving care is appreciated more than you know. A special thanks goes to Macayla and Colleen, who visited her on a regular basis, and to Lauren who was helpful in connecting us with state services.
https://www.pemibakerhospicehomehealth.org/testimonials/i-was-ready-to-give-up-before-i-met-the-pemi-baker-team/

“Pemi-Baker Hospice services provided kind, professional, competent services every step of the way-and even vaccinated us all for Covid/19!””

Our primary nurse, Fred, was outstanding, and others who filled in (Cathy, Penny, Colleen) were wonderful and a credit to your organization. Fred, you were amazing, not only for mom but for my husband and I as well. I will forever be grateful for your support, wisdom, humor and kindness, all along the end of life journey for mom. I am so deeply thankful that circumstances conspired such that mom was able to die at home, and your role made that time as seamless as it could be made.

Paula W.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2020-01-17T12:31:13-05:00

Paula W.

Our primary nurse, Fred, was outstanding, and others who filled in (Cathy, Penny, Colleen) were wonderful and a credit to your organization. Fred, you were amazing, not only for mom but for my husband and I as well. I will forever be grateful for your support, wisdom, humor and kindness, all along the end of life journey for mom. I am so deeply thankful that circumstances conspired such that mom was able to die at home, and your role made that time as seamless as it could be made.
https://www.pemibakerhospicehomehealth.org/testimonials/im-so-happy-that-i-found-pbch/

“Everyone is so understanding supportive and kind.”

From the director to the nurses to the health care workers.  So cheerful, helpful and accommodating.  This is our second time receiving assistance from Pemi-Baker and we are very lucky to have found this amazing group!  Thank you for your excellent care and compassion.

Leila L.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2020-01-17T13:19:24-05:00

Leila L.

From the director to the nurses to the health care workers.  So cheerful, helpful and accommodating.  This is our second time receiving assistance from Pemi-Baker and we are very lucky to have found this amazing group!  Thank you for your excellent care and compassion.
https://www.pemibakerhospicehomehealth.org/testimonials/everyone-is-so-understanding-supportive-and-kind/

Your courage during Covid-19 does not go unnoticed

Hello. We just wanted to take a moment and let you know how much we truly appreciate all that you do for us in these trying times. You're commitment to the health of our community is a special thing, and we know that you are working under stressful conditions due to the Covid 19 crisis. We realize that in order for you to treat those who may be ill, you are putting you're own lives and even you're own families lives in danger, and that is truly a courageous and honorable thing to do. We want you to know that it does not go unnoticed. Thank you all for all that you do!

Bryan and Renee C., and our mom Joan

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2020-06-11T06:27:43-04:00

Bryan and Renee C., and our mom Joan

Hello. We just wanted to take a moment and let you know how much we truly appreciate all that you do for us in these trying times. You're commitment to the health of our community is a special thing, and we know that you are working under stressful conditions due to the Covid 19 crisis. We realize that in order for you to treat those who may be ill, you are putting you're own lives and even you're own families lives in danger, and that is truly a courageous and honorable thing to do. We want you to know that it does not go unnoticed. Thank you all for all that you do!
https://www.pemibakerhospicehomehealth.org/testimonials/your-courage-during-covid-19-does-not-go-unnoticed/
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Hours & Contact

Monday-Friday: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Tel: (603) 536-2232

Answering Service for Nurse nights/weekends:
Tel: (603) 536-2232

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3
Plymouth, NH 03264

Fax: (877) 201-0469
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