Grief and Bereavement Support during the pandemic
Over the past year, many people will have faced extremely challenging circumstances to manage bereavement. Sadly, some bereavements were due to COVID-19 and many people have lost their loved ones to other illnesses as well, who may well have been battling them for some time.
Losing a friend or family member is an exceptionally distressing time for anyone dealing with the formalities of a death, processing the news and attending a funeral or memorial service. It can also be hard to support those grieving around you. Bereavement triggers different emotions in everyone, and how it is managed can be a very individual and personal process.
What has connected these losses during the pandemic is the effect it has had on how we accept such sad news and how we say goodbye.
The lockdown restrictions have prevented people from attending funerals, memorials and remembrance services which to many are an important process of saying farewell to a loved one.
Previously, family and friends came together to grieve. We have been cut off from our usual face to face support network and the comfort that comes from just being in the same room together and hugging someone.
Healthcare workers may have also had additional concerns should a client or a family member become unwell or sadly pass away.
They may have felt additional pressure to continue to work to beat the crisis and worried that the virus could pass to their family or clients. There may have been a lack of time to process any difficult news and grieve.
People have been connecting in the safest ways possible. Phone calls, video calls and watching bereavement services via the internet have provided people with the opportunity to grieve and receive support from those closest to them.
As the restrictions for attending funerals and spending time with friends and family continue to lift, people will be able to meet to support one another and grieve together. Contacting friends and family, holding belated services and continuing to say goodbye in a way that feels right to the person will be much easier and hopefully provide some reassurance, comfort and closure. There are still restrictions in place, and although being able to see our family will be easier, there will still be barriers in place for some. Continuing to reach out to loved ones will be essential to ensure that everyone is supported.
Below are some resources that are available to help you through any challenging times. Both Cruse and The Good Grief Trust have dedicated pages to those who have suffered bereavement during the continuing Coronavirus pandemic.
- The Employee Assistance Programme is available to all workers under Acacium Group, offering both counselling and information.
- Cruse Bereavement care offer support, advice and information to those who have lost someone, and can be accessed by children and adults. They also have a section of their site which provides support specifically for the added challenges the coronavirus pandemic imposes on bereavement: https://www.cruse.org.uk/
- The Good Grief Trust collates information from various resources to provide information and support: https://www.thegoodgrieftrust.org/need-know-info/coronavirus-bereavement-advice/