Talbot Hospice will present its third annual outreach event March 15, 2018 at 6 p.m. Soul Injury: Liberating Unmourned Loss featuring Deborah Grassman, expert on the unique needs of aging Veterans and author of The Hero Within and Peace at Last. The presentation will be held at the Easton High School Auditorium and is open to the public, free of charge. Both of Grassman’s books will be offered for sale at the event.
Grassman is a mental health Nurse Practitioner whose career at the Department of Veterans Affairs spanned nearly 30 years where as Director of the Hospice program she personally took care of more than 10,000 dying veterans. She is recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts in caring for Veterans nearing the end of life.
Grassman is CEO and co-founder of Opus Peace, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide programs that respond to the soul injury that occurs during trauma, abuse, self-neglect, and serious illness. She is most well-known for her pioneering presentation Wounded Warriors: Their Last Battle which was the first of its kind to identify the unique needs of Veterans as they age. In 2002, she introduced “pinning ceremonies” to honor dying veterans — a ceremony which has now become standard practice in hospices and long-term-care facilities throughout the nation.
Grassman’s presentation is suitable for Veterans and their family members, 
professionals who serve the Veteran populations including social workers and clinical personnel, or anyone who could benefit from processing unmourned grief and unforgiven guilt.
“We are so pleased to be able to bring someone of Deborah’s caliber to Talbot County,” said Talbot Hospice Executive Director Vivian Dodge. “We are grateful to our presenting sponsors Avon Dixon Agency and Shore United Bank for helping make this a free event for the community.”
Also at the event, local Veteran organizations, agencies, and support groups will be available in the lobby prior to Grassman’s presentation to offer their resources to Veterans and their families. On Friday, March 16, 8 a.m., Grassman will present an abbreviated version of the workshop “Wounded Warriors” at Talbot Hospice for social workers, nurses, and anyone who works with Veterans.
For more information visit TalbotHospice.org/events or call 410-822-6681.
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