Events

Losing a loved one can be a time filled with sadness, loneliness and grief. Our bereavement professionals want to remind residents in Las Vegas and Houston that we offer free ongoing weekly Grief Support Groups to help people find healthy ways to cope and heal.
 
Through our Solari Hospice Foundation, we also offer Camp Solari, a free weekend-long bereavement camp for children and teens, ages 6-18, and their families. Professionally-trained staff members create a safe and supportive environment to help campers work through their grief, meet others who have experienced similar losses, and continue life as positively as possible.
 

Las Vegas

Weekly Grief Support Groups
“We don’t tell people how or what to feel, because each person’s situation is unique,” says Candis Armour, R.N., executive director, Solari Hospice Care. “However, we can offer words of comfort and guidance to help people work through the pain. Often, people find that it helps simply to release emotions and not keep them bottled up inside. Just sharing a story or quietly listening to someone else’s experience can give people a sense of connection, camaraderie or closure.”

Our Las Vegas Solari Hospice Care offers two Grief Support Groups on Tuesdays, from 5 to 7 p.m., and on Fridays, from 10 a.m. to noon. Both groups meet in the Solari Hospice Care Administrative Building, located at 5550 S. Jones Blvd. All members of the public are invited to attend. To register for one of the Grief Support Groups or for more information, contact Chris Kopoew, bereavement counselor, Solari Hospice Care, at 702-870-0000.

Camp Solari Helps Bereaved Children and Families
Our Las Vegas Camp Solari will be held from May 18-20, 2012, at Mt. Charleston Lodge (located at the end of Highway 157, about a 35-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip). All weekend activities -- including lodging, meals and materials -- are free to camp families. Deadline for application is March 30, 2012. For more information, call 702-870-0000, visit our Camp Solari web page, e-mail Candis.Armour@solarihospice.net, or click here for an application.

 

Houston

Weekly Grief Support Group
"Participation in a Grief Support Group gives people a sense of connection and camaraderie," says Jim Mayer, chaplain, Houston Solari Hospice Care. "We can listen and offer words of reassurance to help people work through the pain. It's comforting to share a story with others who truly know what you're going through."

The Houston Solari Hospice Care Grief Support Group meets on Tuesdays, from 11 a.m. to noon, at the Houston Solari Hospice Care Inpatient Home, 9714 S. Gessner Rd. All members of the public are welcome. For more information, contact Jim Mayer, Chaplain Services, at 713-664-7120.

Camp Solari Helps Bereaved Children and Families
Our Houston Camp Solari will be held from March 23-25, 2012, at the Blisswood Bed & Breakfast at Lehmann Legacy Ranch, 13300 Lehmann Legacy Lane, in Cat Spring, Texas (about an hour west of Houston). All weekend activities -- including lodging, meals and materials -- are free to camp families. Deadline for application has been extended to February 17, 2012. For more information, call 713-664-7120, visit our Camp Solari web page, e-mail Bren.Hingle@solarihospice.net, or click here for an application. 

 

Tips to Help You Heal

Jim Mayer, chaplain, Houston Solari Hospice Care, notes that it’s not good to hide from grief, but to find productive ways to express it. He offers the following basic guidelines to help individuals who are mourning.
 

• Think about your loss. Don’t suppress thoughts or emotions. Grieving is a natural process. Give yourself permission to be sad. It’s okay to skip a party or social event if you’re having a tough day, and it’s equally okay to go even if you’re not in the most festive mood.

• Talk about your loss. Surround yourself with people who care. Find friends, family members any other individuals who are willing to lend an ear. Don’t completely isolate yourself. Get out of the house, even if it’s hard at first.

• Write about your loss. Put your thoughts down on paper. For some individuals, it helps to keep a journal. For others, it can be beneficial to write poetry or letters, draw pictures, or create scrapbooks.

• Cry about your loss. Don’t let your grief stay bottled up inside. “Tears release a lot of emotions,” says Mayer. “Men, especially, have a tough time doing this, but learning to let feelings go and tears flow can actually alleviate a lot of stress.”

• Make space and time to grieve. Don’t get so caught up in life's everyday hustle and bustle that you are too busy to grieve. Pay a visit to the cemetery or return to the place where you spread a loved one’s ashes. Sit quietly alone for a few minutes at sunrise or sunset. Find a comfortable place to be with your thoughts.

• Reconnect with your faith or spiritual practices. Some people derive great strength from being part of a religious community, or by praying or meditating.

• Take care of your health. Eat a well-balanced diet. Get plenty of rest. Exercise regularly.

• Get help if you need it. Don’t live in despair. If you notice signs of deep depression, seek out professionals experienced in grief management. The sooner you do, the better you will feel.

• Do it your way. “Grieving is an individual process. There are no shoulds or shouldn’ts,” says Mayer. “What works for one individual may not work for another. Do what feels right to you.”