Grief Awareness Week is currently taking place from 1st – 7th December, aimed at improving public understanding of bereavement, encouraging open conversations about loss. For Clece Care Services, this week offers an opportunity to reflect on how grief affects clients, families and care professionals. Join us in opening up the conversation about coping with loss and bereavement within the care industry.
What is Grief Awareness Week?
Grief Awareness Week typically takes place in early December, and is coordinated with The Good Grief Trust. The main goal of this campaign is to:
- Raise awareness of the impact of grief across all age groups.
- Promoting access to bereavement support services.
- Reducing stigma around discussing death and loss.
Grief in Domiciliary Care
Clients receiving home care services may be coping with recent or historical bereavement. Loss can stem from the death of a spouse, family member, friend, or even the transition into care itself. Grief may influence a client’s physical health, mental wellbeing, and engagement with care routines.
We also provide end-of-life/palliative care services to our service users, meaning our staff often experience loss during their careers in care. When providing companionship and support during their later years, our team build a bond with our clients, meaning they will experience feelings of grief within their role. It is important to not only acknowledge grief with our clients, but also with our staff.
To learn more about our services, such as end-of-life care, please visit our ‘Services’ page.
Indicators of Grief
Common indicators of grief include, but are not limited to:
- Changes in appetite or sleep patterns
- Withdrawal from social interaction
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Expressions of sadness, irritability, or confusion
Care professionals and management teams should be trained to recognise these signs and respond appropriately.
Support for Grief
Whilst looking out for signs and indicators of grief within clients, family members and staff, it is important to ensure care providers are considering the following support systems for grief:
- Offering signposting to grief or counselling groups. You can find more information about this on the NHS website.
- Encouraging carers to access supervision or peer support.
- Ensuring families are informed and involved in care decisions following a bereavement.
At Clece Care Services, we offer bereavement support for our staff through our Employee Assistance Programme, TELUS Health. Through this programme, our staff can access hands-on support for grief and bereavement, as well as access tips and resources on how to cope with loss.
Grief Awareness Week serves as a reminder that bereavement is a common and significant experience among those receiving domiciliary care, as well as those working in the sector. By adopting grief-informed practices, care providers can improve outcomes for clients and contribute to a more compassionate and responsive care environment.
See Also
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