Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County is offering a grief support group, Growing Through Grief, which will meet weekly on Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8 p.m., beginning Oct. 16 through Nov. 20.

Growing Through Grief is a bereavement support group facilitated by Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County. It is free of charge and open to anyone in the community who has experienced the loss of a loved one.

When experiencing grief, many people feel like strangers in unfamiliar territory. People grieve differently, and one person’s experience may look very different than that of another. Though everyone grieves in a unique way, grief support services can help some people better cope with common characteristics of acute grief.

Common characteristics of acute grief include:

· Overwhelming sadness and tearfulness

· Feelings of emptiness and loneliness

· Difficulty with concentration and memory

· Problems falling and/or staying asleep

· Changes in appetite

· Lack of energy and/or motivation

· Decreased interest in things that formerly held your interest

· Desire to withdraw socially from others

· Restlessness and/or increased anxiety

Advance registration is required for Growing Through Grief, which will meet at Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County (222 N. Oakland Ave., Washington Court House, Ohio 43160). For additional information or to register, please contact Michelle Kessler at 937-382-5400 or 937-725-4987.

Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County was founded in 1987 as a community hospice to affirm life and provide comfort, symptom management and support in physical, mental and spiritual aspects when there is a life-limiting illness. Committed to respecting and empowering individuals so they remain active in their decision-making and personal choices, Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County earned accreditation from The Joint Commission in 2014 and was selected in 2016 for the prestigious Hospice Honors program of HEALTHCAREfirst and Deyta Analytics, recognizing hospices providing the highest level of quality as measured from the caregiver’s point of view. Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County is an affiliate of Ohio’s Hospice.