Monthly Archives: November 2012

Handling the Holidays after Losing a Child

November 30, 2012

The St. Joseph-Breese Share group will continue the discussion on how to get through the holidays after the loss of a child when they next meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, in the hospital Board Room.

“Christmas can be a challenge for anyone who is grieving but for those who have lost a child, this season, with so much emphasis on children, can be especially difficult,” said Karen Gebke, host of the group with husband Scott.

“In particular, if parents have other children, there is pressure to make Christmas as normal as possible when you may wish you could just skip the entire month and wake up on Jan. 2,” she said.

“Getting through the holidays is a matter of doing what’s right for you and your family,” she said.

“What I do may not be right for you and it may not be right for me a year from now,” she said. “You have to learn what works and realize that your choices will probably change.”

Pressures and expectations from others may also be overwhelming to someone who is facing his or her first holiday season since the loss, she said.

“Many people expect you to ‘be over it’ and enjoy the holidays like before,” she said. “I believe it is possible to enjoy the holidays but with the realization that it will be different.”

Also part of the discussion will be how to—or if you should—remember your child at this season.

“For some parents, remembering their baby or child at the holidays, possibly by lighting a candle, hanging a special ornament or wearing a special piece of jewelry, is helpful but there are no right or wrong answers,” Karen Gebke said. “With a little consideration, you can determine what works for you and your family.”

Share, which generally meets the second Tuesday of each month, is for parents and family who have lost a child and is sponsored by the hospital’s Women and Infants Center.

Everyone is welcome—not just parents who delivered at St. Joseph’s in Breese—and there are no restrictions on how long ago the loss occurred or how long someone can attend. There is no charge.

For more information, contact Karen Gebke at 228-7665, 709-2878 or sharestjosephs@yahoo.com. For information on the Women and Infants Center, contact 526-5464 or helen.essenpreis@hshs.org.

 

Grief Support Group Intermission

November 29, 2012

The St. Joseph-Breese Grief Support Group will take a brief hiatus through the Christmas holidays and winter season but individual support—by appointment, in person or by telephone—and resource material at no charge will continue to be available through the hospital’s Pastoral Care Department.

Among the resource material is information on holiday grief which was discussed at the November session. Handouts distributed at that time are still available by contacting the department.

“We are available to support you along the way,” said Sister Dorothy Niemann of Pastoral Care who serves as group coordinator. “Often that first step—that of giving yourself and others permission to talk about a loved one and the loss—is the hardest but it’s important that you make the attempt.”

Grief support may bring comfort and understanding to those who have suffered a loss.

For individual grief counseling, resource material or more information, contact 526-5327 or sisterdorothy.niemann@hshs.org

Alzheimer’s Association Support Group

November 15, 2012

With a focus on the upcoming holidays, the St. Joseph-Breese Alzheimer’s Association Support Group will meet at 1:30 p.m. the second Thursday, Dec. 13, in the Senior Renewal area of the hospital HealthPlex.

“The holidays—from Thanksgiving right through New Years—can be stressful for the Alzheimer’s patient as well as their family,” said group coordinator Sharon Loddeke.

“The patient may become more confused and agitated with the different activities, decorations and foods while the family is sad their loved one is no longer they way he or she used to be,” she said.

“Help is available,” Loddeke said. “We have suggestions to allow everyone to enjoy the season.”

Among the suggestions, courtesy of www.mayoclinic.com, include:

-Make preparations together such as having your loved one measure out ingredients, open holiday cards or wrap gifts together. Concentrate on the process rather than the result.

-A calm, quiet environment is usually best. Maintain daily routines, provide your loved one a place to rest during family get-together and host smaller, slower-paced gatherings.

-A change of environment can cause anxiety so it may be best to celebrate in the most familiar setting – at home or long-term care facility if that’s where the patient is living.

-Spread activities out, have family members visit on different days and plan events for the patient’s best time. Morning or lunchtime visitors or activities may work better than afternoon or evening.

-Caregivers must consider their own needs so pick your top favorite traditions and focus on them.

-You don’t need to do it all. Bake fewer cookies, buy fewer gifts, write fewer cards, etc.

-Don’t be afraid to ask for help and resist pressure to celebrate the way others expect you to.

-Finally, enjoy the season.

Other tips will be discussed at the meeting and those attending can bring their own stories to share.

The group is for anyone caring for a person with dementia, at home or in long-term care, or who has a family member or friend with Alzheimer’s or a similar condition. The group provides support in understanding, coping with and managing Alzheimer’s disease, assistance with community resources and information on the latest research.

Warning signs of Alzheimer’s can include memory changes, challenges in planning or solving problems, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, new problems with speaking or writing words, misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps, decreased or poor judgment, withdrawal and changes in mood and personality.

For more information, contact 526-5699, sandy.radford@hshs.org or sharon.loddeke@hshs.org.

Alzheimer’s information is also available at 1-800-272-3900, helpline@alzstl.org or www.alzstl.org.

Hospital Health Warning

November 14, 2012

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting increased flu activity, visitors to St. Joseph’s in Breese and all healthcare facilities are reminded of the important role everyone plays in guarding patient safety.

Infection Prevention colleagues at St. Joseph’s in Breese and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology have a few recommendations on being a good visitor.

Respiratory hygiene stations - Alcohol hand gel, tissues and masks are at all entrances to St. Joseph’s in Breese and HealthPlex and near the Women and Infants Center elevator. Visitors are encouraged to use these supplies while here and practice good hand and respiratory hygiene at all times.

If you have symptoms – Anyone with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, sore throat, body or muscle aches, headache, cough or runny nose within the past three days, or with nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea are asked to not visit patients. If you have any of the above symptoms and are at the hospital for medical services or it is absolutely necessary that you visit a patient, please wear a mask and wash your hands often.

Hand sanitation - Soap and hand sanitizers are for everyone so wash or sanitize your hands when entering and leaving a patient’s room; after sneezing, coughing or touching your eyes, nose or mouth; and before and after eating, drinking or using the restroom. Cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve, do not sit on patient beds or handle equipment and follow instructions posted outside the patient’s room.

Younger visitors – Check first before bringing youngsters and make sure the child is free from symptoms. While here, children should not play on the floor or bed and should wash their hands when entering and leaving the room. Children 14 years old and younger are asked not to visit at this time.

Special precautions – “Isolation Precautions” rooms have special requirements. Please check with the nursing staff before entering.

Don’t contribute to clutter - Less clutter eases the critical job of cleaning hospital rooms. Keep patient items off the floor and away from waste containers.

Visiting more than one patient - If visiting more than one patient, sanitize your hands before and after each and visit the person in isolation last, following the appropriate precautions.

Back home - Follow discharge instructions and eliminate germs from the patient’s environment by using disinfectants such as sprays and wipes to clean hard surfaces often. Ask for special instructions if the patient had a drug-resistant infection such as MRSA or C. difficile.

Flu Immunizations – All hospital colleagues, volunteers and physicians were encouraged to have a flu shot this fall and those who did so, have a yellow sticker on his or her nametag. Those who cannot receive the flu immunization will be required to wear a face mask during flu season.

For more information, contact 526-5622 or rene.kruse@hshs.org or visit www.preventinfection.org.

 

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