Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County is offering two upcoming programs for Wilton residents:

  • Hospice Volunteer Training Course
  • Bereavement Support Group for Loss of a Spouse

Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County Seeks Hospice Volunteers

Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County is seeking caring and sensitive individuals from Wilton to serve as hospice volunteers. Those who are interested may register to participate in a five-session hospice volunteer training course beginning Monday, Feb. 6 and continuing through Friday, Feb. 10. Training will be held from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. each day at the offices of Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County in Suite 114 at the Health and Wellness Center at I-Park, 761 Main Ave. (Rte. 7) near the intersection of Kent Rd. on the Norwalk /Wilton town line.

Hospice volunteers visit terminally ill patients and their families and provide emotional support, respite care and companionship. In training, hospice volunteers develop the skills they will need to work with patients and families and are provided with ongoing support and supervision.

“Hospice volunteers play a vital role in supporting our patients and their families,” said Laurie Petrasanta, volunteer coordinator for Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County. “They help patients live their last days in peace, with dignity and grace. Hospice volunteers also work closely with grieving families to help them through the bereavement process. There is a great sense of satisfaction in becoming a hospice volunteer.”

For more information, or to register for the five-session training course to become a hospice volunteer, contact Petrasanta at 203.834.6341, ext. 316.

Bereavement Support Group for Those Grieving the Loss of a Spouse

Wilton’s Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County will offer an eight-week bereavement support group this winter to help individuals cope with loss following the death of a spouse.

The support group will meet Wednesdays from 1:30-3 p.m. beginning Jan. 25 through March 15.

“In this support group, we will explore the grieving process and the profound sense of personal loss that follows the death of a spouse,” said Nanette Greene, MA, LPC, a grief and bereavement counselor with Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County.

“With the death of a spouse, we experience the loss of what is probably the most fundamental relationship in our adult lives,” Greene continued. “We not only lose a loved one but a vital part of our identity as well. It can feel like half of our self is gone when a husband or wife dies and this can be traumatic. This bereavement support group will help participants gain a deeper understanding of their feelings of grief and begin the process of healing.”

The bereavement support group for those who have lost a spouse will be held at the offices of Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County in Suite 114 at the Health and Wellness Center at I-Park. I-Park is located at 761 Main Ave. (Rte. 7) on the Norwalk/ Wilton town line.

The support group is free-of-charge and open to the public but pre-registration is required. For more information, or to register to attend the bereavement support group, call Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County at 203.762.8958, extension 316.

A non-profit community organization for more than 100 years, Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County provides professional nursing and support services, senior care management, physical rehabilitation, health education, community wellness programs and compassionate hospice and palliative care for children and adults in Wilton and throughout Fairfield County.