Hospice care differs from other types of health care:

• Hospice treats the person, not the disease, with a "team" approach.
• Hospice offers palliative, rather than curative treatment.
• Hospice considers the needs of the entire family.
• Hospice teaches the family and friends care-giving techniques.
• Hospice is available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week.
• Hospice offers bereavement counseling for anyone.
• Hospice adds life to days when days can no longer be added to life.

Counseling

Grief work is the process of dealing with emotions and situations caused by illness or death, as well as the impact of the loss as it affects mind, body and spirit.  Individual and group bereavement counseling by trained professionals is provided free of charge to help Hospice families work through the grief experience.

Building Bridges

Building Bridges is a unique support group for children who have experienced loss by death of a special loved one.  Creative activities are an important part of the Building Bridges program with the purpose being to offer emotional support, validation and encouragement to grieving children and their families. 

Two six-week sessions are offered each year for children K-12th grade.  Groups are divided according to age and each group is facilitated by carefully trained volunteers.  Parents are urged to attend an adult group created just for them.

There is no charge to attend Building Bridges and the program is open to anyone in the community.  It is not limited just to HOSA families.  The program was created in 1991 and was the first of its kind in San Angelo. Contact Inger McManus at 658-6524 for more information.

Bereavement Support Groups

Everyone grieves differently, but no one needs to grieve alone.  The pain is lightened, the loss is more bearable and healing begins when people have the opportunity to talk about their grief and hear others who share similiar experiences.  This is why HOSA offers support groups.

Ongoing assessment and support of Hospice families is provided by bereavement programs for thirteen months after the death of a Hospice patient.

Hospice Bereavement services are located at The Landy House, 14 S. Jefferson, San Angelo, Texas. (325) 658-6524