News from the Noteworthy from Helios Care

News from the Noteworthy: Honoring Caregivers and Healing Together

November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to recognize and honor the countless individuals who devote their compassion, patience, and love to caring for others. At Helios Care, that spirit of service continues far beyond hospice. Through counseling, education, and community partnerships, Helios Care provides year-round support to those navigating grief, loss, and the challenges of caregiving.

Support Throughout the Year

Helios Care offers comprehensive grief and emotional support for adults, teens and children. Individual counseling is available at no cost to community members and is included as part of the hospice benefit for families under care.

Recognizing that grief touches every corner of a community, Helios Care partners with local school districts to educate staff and provide direct emotional support for students coping with loss. The organization also collaborates with local agencies, such as county Offices for the Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association, to offer training and guidance to staff who assist caregivers and older adults.

Across Delaware, Otsego, and Schoharie counties, support groups for adults provide a safe place to share experiences and find connection—free and open to all, with no registration required. A specialized Caregiver Support Group, available both in person and virtually, helps caregivers manage stress and strengthen their emotional resilience while caring for loved ones.

For younger individuals, Helios Care’s Coping Kit Program provides backpacks filled with interactive activities that encourage family conversation, memory-making and coping. Each kit fosters healing through creativity and togetherness, reinforcing that no one should face grief alone.

Seasonal Opportunities for Healing

Throughout the year, Helios Care hosts special events designed to promote reflection, community and renewal. The long-standing Camp Forget-Me-Not, held for more than 20 years, offers children a joyful, supportive space to explore grief through play, art and remembrance. In 2025, three camps were held across the summer and early fall, continuing this beloved tradition of compassion.

This October, adults gathered at the Healing Grief Retreat at the Uplands Center, where art therapy and somatic healing practices helped participants process loss in nurturing surroundings.

As the holidays approach, Helios Care’s programs acknowledge the unique challenges of this season. The Tree of Lights remembrance ceremonies provide a comforting way to honor those who have passed, while the Grief and the Holidays event hosted in partnership with Friends of Woodland Cemetery and the Bushel Collective in Delhi returns on November 12 from 6-7:30 p.m. This year’s theme, “Coping with Grief and the Power of Ritual,” explores how intentional acts of remembrance can bring peace during difficult times.

Looking ahead, Helios Care will debut “The Cost of Smiling Through Sorrow,” a grant-funded art therapy program led by renowned art therapist Elizabeth Bryan-Jacobs. Launching in late 2025 and continuing through early 2026 in Oneonta and Cooperstown, this initiative will introduce new creative pathways for healing within local support groups.

Celebrating Caregivers and Community

During National Family Caregivers Month, Helios Care extends heartfelt appreciation to the many caregivers who dedicate themselves to the well-being of others. Their devotion embodies the essence of compassionate care—offering comfort, dignity, and love when it is needed most.

At Helios Care, we believe caregiving is one of the purest expressions of love. Our mission is to stand beside caregivers and grieving families with the same compassion and strength they give to others every day. Together, we create a community where no one has to walk through loss or care alone.

To learn more about bereavement counseling, caregiver resources, or upcoming programs, visit helioscare.org or call (607) 432-5525. Helios Care remains steadfast in its mission to ensure that no one grieves or cares alone.

Joan MacDonald is the president and chief executive officer of Helios Care.