Grief support provided to caregivers of palliative care patients in Spain

Abstract

Grief support for relatives of patients in palliative care is recognized as a fundamental practice within palliative medicine. The aim of this research was to determine the nature and extent of grief support programs offered to relatives of patients in palliative care in Spain. A postal survey was carried out among members of the Spanish Society of Palliative Care. The members' names were obtained through the Society's 2000 Directory, which lists 160 different teams, of which 50% answered a questionnaire made up of 34 questions, some open-ended and others multiple choice. Results show that 88.6% of the services include grief support, that mainly emotional and one-to-one care is provided (92.4 and 89.9%, respectively), and that the number of psychologists and social workers in each team is limited. The risk factors most commonly taken into account by professionals are: absence of family support (36.92%) and the bereaved's case history (21.54%); while the most widely used diagnostic criteria for complicated bereavement are blame and depression (12.5 and 11.36%). In conclusion, it can be seen that bereavement services are not completely consolidated in Spain and there is a need for a greater variety of intervention strategies.

Caring for Bereaved Family Caregivers: Analyzing the Context of Care

“…Targeting specific groups, such as individuals with a very short hospice enrolment (Kris et al, 2006) or spouses who did not receive hospice support (Christakis & Iwashyna, 2003) or had a very difficult caregiving experience and a more difficult bereavement response (Grande et al, 2004), may lower risk for depression. Grief support in Spain involved mainly telephone contact and an informal assessment of the needs of the bereaved, basically because of a lack of human and economic resources to provide effective and efficient bereavement services (Yi et al, 2006). A more formal approach to bereavement risk assessment, intervention, and follow-up would improve the efficiency of the healthcare system in providing for the needs of bereaved family members.…”

What Bereavement Follow-Up Does Family Members Request in Japanese Palliative Care Units?

“…In Western countries, individual-oriented services such as telephone support, one-on-one counseling, and home visits are common in palliative care, and a wide range of bereavement services have been reported, including support group meetings and information services. [9][10][11][12] However, it is necessary to develop bereavement care programs unique to Japan, owing to the differences in cultural context and the system for providing palliative care.…”

“Caregrieving” in palliative care: Opportunities to improve bereavement services

“…Due to the ad hoc nature of many bereavement services, several studies argue that a more theory-driven and evidence-based approach is needed to ensure the more uniform delivery of high-quality bereavement care. 4,5,7 Most often, bereavement services delivered as a part of hospice or palliative care are provided on an individual basis, such as by telephone or counseling, or in a group setting, such as in a memorial service, widow support groups, or family counseling. 5,8 With the development of new approaches to bereavement support, both psychotherapeutically (e.g.…”

“…4,5,7 Most often, bereavement services delivered as a part of hospice or palliative care are provided on an individual basis, such as by telephone or counseling, or in a group setting, such as in a memorial service, widow support groups, or family counseling. 5,8 With the development of new approaches to bereavement support, both psychotherapeutically (e.g. in the detection and intervention for those with intense and debilitating prolonged grief reactions) and technologically (e.g.…”