Bereavement and palliative care: A public health perspective

A scoping review of bereavement risk assessment measures: Implications for palliative care

“…Better bereavement outcomes is a goal of palliative care (6). However, bereavement support offered by palliative care services throughout developed countries is affected by a range of complex issues, including uncertainty about whether the supports provided by these services adequately meet the needs of bereaved family caregivers (7)(8)(9)(10).…”

“…Of particular concern is that bereavement support in palliative care tends to be offered to all bereaved persons, irrespective of need (8,10,11). However, research indicates that, within the bereaved population, those experiencing greater distress, do not seek help (10,(12)(13)(14). This provision of blanket bereavement support means that some bereaved caregivers, possibly those in greatest need, may be overlooked, while others receive support they do not need (14,15).…”

“…This provision of blanket bereavement support means that some bereaved caregivers, possibly those in greatest need, may be overlooked, while others receive support they do not need (14,15). As greater burdens are placed on the healthcare system, this approach is inappropriate and unsustainable (8,10,16).…”

Bereavement, loss and palliative care – where are we now?

“…Viewed from this context palliative care contact can be a temporary, transitory presence. The extent to which palliative care services are actively situated within local communities, and have confidence in this less organised space's ability to respond is a concern of Rumbold's and Aoun's article in this issue 5 and is addressed as a lynchpin of the public health model. Our services -in the community, in the hospice and through the palliative care structures need to respond to grief through meaning making and an 'asset based' approach.…”

“…These models also allow for the resilience and 'assets-based' approach which appear as themes in a number of the papers in this special issue. [3][4][5] A focus on 'story' makes another point worthy of extra emphasis. A person's story is backfilled from the past, but lived out actively into a future -a future set in communities, in families, in circles of friends and in workplaces.…”