Lory’s Place, a grief healing and education center of Hospice at Home, is expanding its program services to include offering a peer support group for adults who have experienced the death of a significant person in their lives by way of suicide. The adult participants will gain peer support while gaining a better understanding of the individual journeys of grief.

As of 2006, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death for all ages. More than 33,000 suicides occurred in the US.  This is the equivalent of one suicide every 16 minutes. Among young adults ages 15-24 years old, there are approximately 100-200 attempts for every completed suicide.  Among adults 65 years and older, there are approximately four suicide attempts for every completed suicide. Males take their own lives at nearly four times the rate of females and represent 79 percent of all U.S. suicides. During their lifetime, women attempt suicide about 2-3 times as often as men. These statistics are alarming and are relevant in our communities today.

The program direction for the Suicide Loss Support Group will follow the same direction of the other support groups offered at Lory’s Place. All of the peer groups are open, allowing new participants to join at any time in their grief story. The programming is based on the individual participant’s needs and is a model which identifies grief as work to be done, while being supported and nurtured in the process. All of the services of Lory’s Place are offered at no charge to the participants.

Hospice at Home is the non-profit community hospice focusing on the patient and family regardless of the patients’ diagnosis, treatment choices, or ability to pay. It provides quality care to people adjusting to living with a serious illness, facing death, anticipating the death of a loved one, or healing their grief after the death of a loved one. Hospice at Home places an emphasis on the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of those who need care and those receiving support services. Serving Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, and Allegan counties, the care is coordinated by a team of physicians, nurses, home health aides, social workers, spiritual care counselors, bereavement coordinators, and trained volunteers.

Extending this care, Lory’s Place, a bereavement and education center that builds hope and strength for every grieving family, is available to anyone in Southwest Michigan or Northern Indiana.

For more information about Lory’s Place, call 269-983-2707  or (800) 717-3812, or go to www.lorysplace.org.

For more information about Hospice at Home call 1-800-717-3811, or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.