Visiting Nurses Offers Bereavement Support to Parents Grieving Loss of a Child

Wilton’s Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County will offer a seven-week bereavement support group this spring to help parents cope with loss following the death of a child, one of the most dreadful experiences a parent can face. Grieving parents may question whether life will ever hold meaning for them again and wonder how they will survive the anguish of their loss. They often blame themselves or they may be angry with their spouse, a physician, or God.

“Bereaved parents often experience more anger, depression, guilt and physical symptoms than those grieving other kinds of losses,” said Laurie Petrasanta, MS, BSW of Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County. “Parents frequently feel traumatized and isolated in their grief and it is essential for them to talk with other people who understand the devastating nature of their loss and can empathize. This support group will offer bereaved parents a safe place to talk about their child and their loss as well as their fears, anxieties and other feelings. Parents will learn from the shared experiences of others who have suffered a similar loss.”

The support group will meet weekly on Thursday afternoons, 2:30-4 p.m. beginning April 14 through May 26. It will be held at the offices of Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County at the Health and Wellness Center at I-Park, 761 Main Avenue (Rte. 7), Suite 114, on the Norwalk/Wilton town line.

This support group is free-of-charge and open to the public but pre-registration is required. For more information, or to pre-register for this bereavement support group, call Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County at 203.834.6341, ext. 316.

A non-profit community organization for more than100 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 adults and children in Wilton and throughout Fairfield County. Visit them online or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.