A local non-profit is now offering virtual support groups for those who have lost a loved one or close companion due to COVID-19.

Hope Healthcare is offering these support groups for adults age 18 and over that are open to the community at no cost. The support group provides an opportunity to discuss emotions such as anger, guilt, blame or resentment and learn from the experiences of others.

“Despite COVID-19’s continued presence in the community, participants can discover positive healthy steps that lead toward healing by creating meaningful rituals and receiving validation for the experience of loss,” said Hope Healthcare officials in a release.

Hosted by Licensed Mental Health Counselor Mary Lisa Grimmer, the group is held weekly on Tuesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Registration is required. To sign up, contact Grimmer at 239-489-9184 or email Mary.Grimmer @HopeHCS.org.

Thank to generous community support, Hope Healthcare is able to offer additional counseling programs including grief support for adults, teens and children, bereaved parents, and those who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

To learn more, visit www.HopeHCS.org/counseling.

Hope Healthcare, which includes Hope Hospice and Hope Kids Care programs, is a not-for-profit health care organization “dedicated to providing care and comfort to every individual and their loved ones as they fulfill life’s journey.”

For more information, call 239-482-4673 or visit www.HopeHCS.org.

By the numbers

As of Tuesday morning, Lee Health had 84 COVID-19 patients isolated in system inpatient hospitals, including three new COVID-19 admissions and 13 COVID-19 discharges since Monday.Lee Health also reported 24 new COVID-19 admissions and 26 COVID-19 discharges over the weekend. Of Tuesday’s total, three are under the age of 18 and three are in the ICU.

Since the start of the pandemic, Lee Health has reported 1,187 patient deaths inside its hospitals to COVID-19 related complications, including two on Monday.

Census as of Tuesday morning was at 90% of staffed operational bed capacity. Staffed operational capacity reflects the number of beds for which the hospital has adequate staffing, not the total number of beds within Lee Health hospitals. Overall bed capacity fluctuates hour to hour as the system discharges patients throughout the day who are ready to go home.

As of Tuesday, 68% of ventilators and 12% of ICU rooms are available for use across Lee Health facilities.

As of Tuesday, there were 15 COVID-19 patients on ventilators and 24 in the intensive care unit.

COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral disease. For most individuals, symptoms are mild. For a minority, the disease becomes a type of viral pneumonia with severe complications. Especially at risk are those who are older, those with underlying health conditions and the immune-compromised.

With the number of COVID-19 cases again climbing due, in part, to the latest mutation of the virus, the CDC is recommending that even vaccinated individuals “maximize protection from the Delta variant and possibly spreading it to others” by wearing a mask indoors in public in areas “of substantial or high transmission.”

The CDC also recommends masks for those at high risk of serious illness from COVID, those with compromised immune systems, those who are older and those with underlying medical conditions.

Vaccination is highly urged.

For more detail on Florida resident cases, visit floridahealthcovid19.gov.

To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, visit the Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage. For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control, visit the CDC COVID-19 website. For more information about current travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State, visit the travel advisory website.

For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, contact the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

— Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj

COMMENTS