Grief at the Holidays - a Conversation

Coping strategies for dealing with grief and loss during the holidays.

Presenter: Andy Sokoloff, LMSW, Bereavement Coordinator, MaineHealth CHANS Home Health and Hospice

MaineHealth Lifestyle Medicine Brunswick, 329 Maine Street Brunswick, ME 04011

Registration is required.

For more information call 207-373-6585.

Although the holidays are usually regarded as happy celebrations, many of us approach the holiday season with trepidation.  When you have lost people you love, their death(s) can overshadow or outright stifle the joy of the holiday season.  Sentimental reminders abound, with movies, songs, and ads focusing on families and spending time with loved ones. 

Do you struggle with feeling sad or lonely at this time of year?  Are you at a loss as to how to respond to friends and family who wonder why you are not in the holiday spirit?  Would you like to learn more about how to cope over the next few weeks? Please join us for an informative 1-hour session which will review:

• What is grief?
• Triggers
• Coping Tools
• Communication
• Resources 

Do you have questions, scheduling suggestions or are interested in training to be a facilitator yourself? Please email the instructor Gisele Biron at mhmgcareteambereavement@mainehealth.org 

This six-week program is designed for individuals with chronic disease or illness, with a goalto improve quality of life, support mental and physical endurance, and promote healing.What you can expect:• A better sense of well being• Stimulated immune system• Increased strength and flexibility• Reduced stress• Decreased pain for arthritis and fibromyalgia

Provides information and support to those who have loved ones coping with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. 

For more information, contact Cheri R. Blouin, LSW, at 207-301-6237 or at Cheri.Blouin@mainehealth.org. 

Coastal Communities Live Well Better Breathers Group (adults)

Join us for a support group that provides a welcoming space for individuals with chronic lung diseases, as well as their family members, friends and caregivers. Learn about disease management, share experiences and get tools to stay active and healthy. The group covers everything related to breathing, including oxygen equipment, medications, CPAP machines and more. Guest speakers will provide specialized knowledge and education.

Classes are led by trained facilitators and are offered both in person and via Zoom on the third Wednesday of each month. A Zoom link will be provided after registration. Families and caregivers are welcome.

The American Lung Association's Better Breathers Club program has connected people living with lung disease to education, support and each other in communities around the country for over 50 years.

To register, email or call Suzan Michelle Collins at: 207-301-5892 or Suzan.Collins@mainehealth.org     

Suzan Michelle Collins, BSRT, RRT, is a second-year graduate student working on her graduate degree in Respiratory Care at Boise State University. She is a certified asthma educator and holds specialty certifications as a COPD educator, pulmonary disease educator, tobacco treatment specialist and in pulmonary rehabilitation.

She has received national awards for her work in Asthma Management from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Dr. Charles H. Hudson Award for her work in Cardiopulmonary Health from the ARCF and the Nick Jones Breathe Strong Rally Champion Award from the COPD Foundation. Locally, she has received the 2024 Operations Transformation Advocate Award from MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital and has been invited to present her research and work performed here for several national conferences.

Please join our postpartum support group to find the village you deserve! You will get to meet other new moms and find out that many of the struggles you may be experiencing are common and you are not alone. You will also get good ideas for coping. We vent, we celebrate, we cry, we encourage, we drink coffee and eat snacks! You can weigh your baby here and ask any questions at all to another mother or a nurse. 

The group meets every Wednesday morning at 10:30am at MidCoast Hospital. Sometimes we meet in Conference Room 1, right next to the cafeteria. If that room is not available, our back up location is the waiting room outside the Maternity unit. The group is led by our breast/bottle feeding specialists. Mothers with children 0-6 months are welcome. 

This informal support group for breastfeeding families provides interaction as well as individual assistance when needed. Women wanting more information about breastfeeding are also welcome. This group is facilitated by a lactation consultant from the Women and Infants unit.

Please call (207)301-8337 for more information.