Journey Hospice, a hospice care provider in the community for 20 years, is holding their annual memorial service Thursday, Sept. 22, at the United Methodist Church’s outdoor chapel in New Martinsville. Services begin at 6 p.m.

In addition to a brief inspirational message and music, this year’s program is featuring a butterfly release. Anyone who wishes to honor and remember a loved one, as well as those served by Journey Hospice in the past year, are invited to participate. A $5 donation is requested (per butterfly) to cover the cost of the butterflies.

Journey Hospice provides care in professional institutions, such as hospitals and nursing homes, but they can also provide care at home. Most people choose to receive their hospice care at home. The primary goal of hospice care is pain management and to provide the patient comfort and dignity in their final days. Hospice care provides emotional,, social, and spiritual support for patients and their families in end-of-life scenarios.

Hospice care is 100 per cent covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance. Journey Hospice also provides respite care, which allows care-givers in home help, up to 5 days a month, so that the caregiver may have time for themselves.

Invitations are being mailed to families served by Journey Hospice; however, any person wishing to participate may do so by calling Journey Hospice at 304-447-2464. There is also an RSVP form in Tyler Star News which can be mailed to: Journey Hospice, 314 S. Wells St., Sistersville, WV 26175. Please RSVP no later than Sept. 15 to order a memorial.

Journey Hospice is also offering grief education and support counseling to residents of Tyler, Wetzel, and Pleasants Counties. These services are free and open to anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one, whether Hospice services were used or not. Meetings will be conducted by the Hospice Chaplain and Hospice Social Worker Luanne Beard, MSW.

“We chose to focus on bereavement counseling in our third quarter,” said Cathy Powell, Journey Hospice Director. “This is a good time for the counseling sessions, because the weather is still nice, and it’s before the upcoming holiday season. Depression during the holidays is quite common, especially for people who are going through the grieving process.”

The sessions will be held at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in their rectory.

“The church has been very gracious, offering us the use of their rectory,” said Luanne Beard, adding, “It will be a quiet, peaceful place to come to.”

Grief and bereavement counseling services will be held on Tuesdays, Sept. 27, Oct. 25, and Nov. 15 at 1 p.m and 7 p.m.

Topics include: Sept. 27: The Challenges of Coping: The Process of Grief – This discussion explores the various aspects of grief that an individual may experience when losing a loved one, and ways of coping with life changes.

Oct. 25: Getting Through The Holidays – This discussion focuses on steps that can be taken to work through grief and help give the holidays new meaning.

Nov. 15: What Everyone Should Know About The First Year of Grief: Letting Grief Take Its Course – This discussion considers the challenges faced getting through the first year of grief, and how to manage throughout the process.

For more information about the Journey Hospice memorial service, or the counseling sessions, please contact 304-447-2464.