Bereavement Issues for Carers

The experience of grief and bereavement can begin when someone receives a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness.  The death of someone close may not always be a surprise but is often a shock, as it is difficult to truly prepare for the loss of some one who is important in our lives.  Each individual experiences this loss in a different way, and their sense and experience of grief and bereavement will therefore be different.  Making sense of the loss and learning to live in the world without that person is the work of grieving.

The Irish Hospice Foundation provides a number resources and signposts to assist both anticipatory grief and the grief that people experience when someone close to them dies.

Often people find their own way through the difficulties and pain of bereavement with support from friends and family. Sometimes bereaved people find it helpful to learn more about bereavement.  The following leaflets produced by the Irish Hospice Foundation may be of help.

• When someone you care about is bereaved When_Someone_You_Care_About_is_Bereaved_(7)[1].pdf (0.17 MB, Adobe PDF) 
• Adults grieving the death of a parent Adults_Grieving__the_Death_of_a_Parent_(7)[1].pdf (0.17 MB, Adobe PDF) 
• Grieving the death of someone close Grieving_the_Death_of_Someone_Close[1].pdf (0.15 MB, Adobe PDF) 
• Living through the death of your partner or Spouse Living_Through_the_Death_of_your_Partner_or_Spouse_(7)[1].pdf (0.16 MB, Adobe PDF) 
• The grieving family The_Grieving_Family_(7)[1].pdf (0.14 MB, Adobe PDF) 
• Grieving the Death of a Child Grieving_the_Death_of_a_Child(7)[1].pdf (0.18 MB, Adobe PDF) 

Outside support from similarly bereaved people or from trained volunteers can be of particular help to bereaved people where they have concerns about burdening others or perhaps they have no supportive family members available.

A small minority of people experience significant difficulties in their bereavement, which could include intense and unrelenting grief six months post-bereavement.  If you are concerned please consult your GP and consider professional help , as these symptoms do not always decrease over time.

The HSE have produced a Bereavement Support Directory and Citizens Information also provide guidance in this area, and they have a specific publication on Bereavement