Case study:

11 May 2010

Bereavement service at St Luke’s Hospice, Sheffield

Key points

St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield is now offering a range of bereavement support services to all relatives and friends of any patient referred to the hospice, whether inpatient or in the community.

The services, which are in line with NICE’s recommended three-component model for bereavement, are made available at any stage in the grief process. They include printed material, support phone calls, home visits, counselling, social and therapy groups and a ‘Time for Thanksgiving’ event involving readings, music and candle-lighting.

The process begins six to eight weeks after the patient’s death when at least one family member receives information about bereavement and the St Luke’s service with an invitation to send this mailing to other family members if required.

The team, which consists of a part-time hospice-based Bereavement Services Coordinator, a part-time Bereavement Services Counsellor and a team of volunteers, then makes phone contact with those who have been mailed three to four months after the death – or earlier if requested. All the other services are available when people require them.

Many of these services are proving very popular. Evaluation of the new therapy group indicates it has significantly benefited members. There has also been high take-up of counselling sessions while the social group is regularly attended by 30 people.

The service uses a computerised recording system of hospice deaths to back up staff referrals to ensure that everyone who has been bereaved is contacted. This has also helped to identify some relatives who need more support than mailing and a phone call.

One challenge has been ensuring that everyone is contacted by phone within four months. Increasing the number of volunteers through regular recruitment has resolved this problem although this can lead to a constantly changing workforce.

The hospice has also sought to offer greater diversity by setting up the therapy group and developing existing services, including expanding counselling and making Time for Thanksgiving accessible to both those with a faith and those without.

Future plans include evaluating all parts of the service and maintaining the annual training course for new volunteers. The hospice also intends to monitor the progress of those in the social group to help them move on to other groups. The service recently appointed a part-time Bereavement Services Counsellor which, it is hoped, will increase the diversity of the service.