Bereavement
It create within us a sense of loss or sadness especially if the resident was well known or had lived at the facility for a long time. Other times there may be a sense of relief as the resident had struggled with ill health and challenging symptoms for a long time. The following terms are useful to reflect on:
Grief is the emotional response to the loss of a loved one
Mourning is the way we show grief in public
Bereavement is the period of sadness after a death of a loved one
As human beings our experiences of grief can be quite complex. Although grief is often associated with the death of a loved one, people can grieve for other reasons. This could be related to:
Loss of one’s home-especially during a move into residential care
The loss of a pet
Losing one’s job
Loss of a future goal or aspiration
Loss of a relationship- sometimes this may be when a family member witnesses the deterioration in their loved one with dementia.
Whatever the experience we all have different ways of coping or working through loss, in all its forms. If you want to read or explore more information about grief and loss the below website can be a useful place to start. Their regular newsletters are free to download.
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