Bereavement care

The purpose of this chapter is to assist you to understand what this means for you, other staff, the families and other older people you will need to support. It is important that you gain a deeper understanding of bereavement so you can recognise bereavement as a healthy outcome and promote this perspective in the workplace. The chapter will initially explore the concept of bereavement and differentiate between the terms associated with death and dying – that is, loss, grief and mourning – as well as consider their relationship to bereavement. The chapter will then discuss the principles of bereavement and apply these to nurses’ everyday practice. It will conclude by examining the care interventions that need to be implemented to support other staff, families, other older people and yourself to engage in healthy bereavement and to reduce the likelihood of complicated grief developing.