Support for grieving dementia care partners
After hearing from clients about the emotional challenges they face following the death of a loved one with dementia, we’ve launched a new grief support program to provide much-needed ongoing support and connection. The program was initially launched in April, and the next series will start this November.
The grief support program offers a compassionate and educational environment to help participants navigate the complex and often misunderstood experience of grief with a dementia focus.
“It confirmed what I was experiencing is normal, and gave me tools to help with my grief,” one participant reflected after the first series.
The program will have a two-hour group session every week for six weeks, offering both support and grief education with a dementia focus. The sessions will be virtual via Zoom, making them accessible to people across Nova Scotia.
Each session is created with evidence-based models and will be facilitated by two of our knowledgeable and caring staff members.
“I’ve heard from a few people that I’ve supported through grief over the years that connecting with others going through the same thing made them feel seen,” says Sandra Hubbard, facilitator of the first grief support program series. “They’d say ‘I thought I was going crazy, but now I know I’m normal.’ That’s the goal for this program.”
Caring for someone with dementia often brings a different kind of loss - one that can begin long before death occurs. This grief can leave caregivers feeling isolated in their experience. This program aims to address those unique aspects of loss, creating a supportive space where people can both learn and feel less alone.
This program is open to anyone who has supported a person with dementia who has died and is feeling challenges with navigating their grief.
While the sessions won’t eliminate grief, they offer practical strategies, emotional insights, and a strong sense of community. Participants will leave with a better understanding of their own grieving process and tools they can use long after the program ends.
The fall session of the series will run from November 4 to December 9, meeting on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (week two will move to Wednesday, November 12 due to Remembrance Day). If you or someone you know can benefit from participating in the grief support program, please connect with us.
You can learn more about this program at www.alzheimer.ca/ns/griefsupport or by calling 1-800-611-6345.