What should good bereavement service support look like? Findings from pre-pandemic workshop discussions interpreted in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: There is a lack of consistency in approaches to bereavement support provision and evaluation. This study identified outcomes for adult bereavement support in palliative care, involving a workshop with people from professional and lived experience backgrounds, providing a view on what support interventions should look like.

Aims: The aims of the workshop were to gather stakeholder views on the purpose and impacts of bereavement support and what outcomes should be used in the design and evaluation of bereavement interventions and services. 

Methods: Stakeholders were divided into three groups and asked to identify and discuss how support services should help bereaved service users and what good bereavement support looks like. Key themes were identified from the written and verbal content of the consensus day.

Findings: Three main themes emerged from the data; informal support and self-management; the aims and purpose of formal bereavement service support and the timing, accessibility and quality of support.

Conclusion: Workshop findings align with public health models of bereavement care and recent service standards, identifying core support functions and aspirations for bereavement services. Finding the best mechanisms and modalities for meeting these, in the context of the late/post-pandemic period, presents both challenges and opportunities.