Earn 1 hr. CEU, pre-approved for Social Workers by BOSW; self-submit other disciplines.
MGS is an approved Continuing Education Resource by the MN Board of Nursing.
(The CEU is free for MGS members; $15 for non-members.)
By: Gary Roe, Th.M., M.A., Hospice Chaplain, Grief Specialist , author of over a dozen books and 700 articles
Handout – Loss Grief Aging in a COVID World – 5.13.21
We all experience significant loss in life – “deaths” of varying depth and intensity including disappointments, moves, rejections, estrangements, failures, health issues, physical decline, and the loss of people along the way. These losses impact us in ways we’re not aware of, influencing our relationships, overall wellness, and quality of life. As we age, our losses tend to pile up and the weight of our life experiences can be heavy. COVID has added a confusing and complicated layer to all of this, deepening our grief and adding to our already large burden of anxiety and depression. How we deal with these challenges matters deeply – to us and to all those around us. We’ll tackle these demanding issues, and then explore how we can personally navigate loss in healthy ways and help others do the same.
Objectives:
- Define loss and the grief process (it’s about far more than death).
- Describe the incredible impact of loss in our lives.
- Explore loss and grief in the context of the aging process.
- Describe how COVID has complicated our lives and the grief process.
- Suggest practical steps we can take to navigate loss, grief, aging, and COVID in healthy ways and help others do the same.
Sponsored by:
Gary Roe is the multiple award-winning author of more than a dozen books including Comfort for the Grieving Spouse’s Heart, Shattered: Surviving the Loss of a Child, and Aftermath: Picking Up the Pieces After a Suicide. Gary’s books have won three international book awards and have been named as finalists eight times. He has been featured on Dr. Laura, The Daily Positive, Wellness, Belief Net, Thrive Global, and other national media. A trusted and compassionate voice in grief recovery, Gary currently serves as a chaplain and grief counselor for Hospice Brazos Valley in central Texas. Known for his engaging style and sense of humor, he is also a popular speaker at a wide variety of venues. Visit him at www.garyroe.com.