Bereavement and bereavement care: consultation and mapping of practice (phase 2).

Stephen, A.I.; Wimpenny, P.; Unwin, R.; Work, F.; Macduff, C.; Dempter, P.G.; Wilcock, S.E.; Brown, A.M.

Abstract

Looking for information on bereavement care, other than reading material in professional or academic journals can be a daunting task. A search of the internet provides a significant 1,116,403 hits, which range from general information, through bereavement services (funeral directors, counselling, local authorities etc) to individuals talking about their loss. This is perhaps indicative of the extent to which death and the subsequent bereavement are part of our lives, despite an implicit tendency to hide death, dying and bereavement. In addition reports related to bereavement appear regularly in the media, the most recent focused on the provision of memorials on hills and mountains and at roadsides following road traffic accidents. Whilst it is therefore possible for individuals to get news, information and advice about bereavement in significant quantities, irrespective of appropriateness, it appears that dealing with death, dying and bereavement, particularly within health and social care is increasingly challenging. This in some way may be due, in the UK, to the organ and tissue retention scandals. However, engagement and interest in bereavement and bereavement care extends beyond this as it is a universal experience that may impact on health and well-being and as such demands the attention of those working in health and social care. Therefore understanding and developing bereavement services through policy and practice could, it may be argued, have significant benefit. However, how to achieve this, and which aspects to develop are not clear as there is a plethora of perspectives and services, some of which may be competing. This research sought to engage the perspectives of health and social care practitioners in statutory and voluntary sectors (including education settings), through a consultation and mapping process which drew on the literature review previously undertaken. The literature review could not capture practitioners' views of bereavement and bereavement care, and what factors may be influencing their practice. Indeed practitioners and others who are working with the bereaved may view evidence, such as the literature review, as not being the 'real world'. Hence the need to ensure their perspective is checked out and incorporated into work which may inform future evidence-based policy and practice. It may also be the case that practitioners who work with the bereaved are located between the academic perspective (which might dominate a literature review) and the bereaved themselves and therefore have a unique insight into bereavement care.

Citation

STEPHEN, A.I., WIMPENNY, P., UNWIN, R., WORK, F., MACDUFF, C., DEMPSTER, P., WILCOCK, S.E. and BROWN, A.M. 20O6. Bereavement and bereavement care: consultation and mapping of practice (phase 2). Final report. Aberdeen: Robert Gordon University. Hosted on OpenAIR. Available from:

• Report Type: Project Report
• Publication Date: Sep 30, 2006
• Deposit Date: Feb 7, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 12, 2024
• Publisher: Robert Gordon University
• Keywords: Bereavement; Bereavement care; Bereavement services; Death
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2235093