AN 80-year-old widower has spoken of how a hospice has been “fantastic” in helping him come to terms with life without his beloved wife.

The man, who wishes to stay anonymous, lost his wife in late 2019 and has been attending bereavement support sessions at East Lancashire Hospice ever since.

Although wary at first, he soon began to rely on the sessions to talk about his late wife as well as being something to get him out of the house.

He said: “I did go and I’m glad I did because there are other people who are similar to yourself who have lost loved ones and we have all got a bit of a story to tell. Sadly, they are sad."

Finding it difficult to keep himself occupied, he came across some flyers for activity classes, including and arts and crafts session, in the hospice. He decided to join these.

He added: “It gave me somewhere to go and you eventually get to know people who are there.

“It was different people in the classes but we have all got one thing in common and that’s sadly a loss.”

Unfortunately, this all stopped in March 2020 when the first lockdown hit, with group bereavement sessions and activity classes being suspended.

The man did however, continue to receive help from the hospice in a different capacity to help him continue to cope.

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He said: “They are doing a fantastic job. I have had two home visits which I have been glad about.

“I’m only human. I have good days and bad days like everyone else but then you come out of it when you see other people.”

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In lockdown, he is using Zoom to keep attending bereavement sessions which has kept him in contact with the hospice and others.

He hopes to go back to the hospice again once lockdown is lifted so he can continue to talk to people and keep himself busy.