Contacts
Contact:
Peter Kennedy
Palliative Care Co-ordinator
Organisation:
St Mungos
4th Floor 211 Old Street London EC1V 9NR United Kingdom
Tel:
0207 6084725
Email:
Case study:
06 December 2010
How St Mungo’s projects support the bereaved
Key points
- St Mungo’s projects commemorate a resident’s death in many ways, including a book of condolence, tree planting and remembrance services
- The immediate aftermath of a death is a time of high risk for other residents who may be sent into a downward spiral
- It can also be very stressful for staff, particularly when dealing with grieving relatives.
Deaths in St Mungo’s projects are not uncommon and often sudden. As a result a death can leave residents and staff deeply upset and sometimes traumatised.
There are many ways in which the projects commemorate someone’s death. Many set up a book of condolence. Some arrange for a tree to be planted or for a bench to be erected. Others hold annual remembrance services.
What staff do in the immediate aftermath of a death is vital, says St Mungo’s Palliative Care Co-ordinator Peter Kennedy. This includes how they inform clients, especially significant others, of a death as well as trying to include them in funerals or remembrance services. This is really important for lessening the impact and allowing clients to express themselves. It also brings everyone together.
It is also a time of high risk. Clients tend not to have strong social support networks, particularly outside the project. The death of someone close can send them into a downward spiral which has a knock-on effect on other residents. Mr Kennedy suggests it may be sensible to start making bereavement risk assessments in advance.
The effects of a death can also create high levels of stress for staff who must try and continue with “business as usual” despite their clients’ distress which they may be sharing.
It is important to have systems in place within the organisation that help to open up dialogue with staff on how they can support each other and then support their clients.
Supporting relatives can also be challenging. In many cases the individual will have had little or no contact with family members, so the first news they may get after a long interval is that their relative is dead. This can be stressful for staff, particularly if they are caught between carrying out the wishes of a client and trying to deal openly and fairly with relatives following a death.
Mr Kennedy says more one-to-one, team support and bereavement training is being made available for staff and they now feel much more assured that they have done everything they could.
Back to top