Living bereavement: an exploration of healthcare workers’ responses to loss and grief in an NHS continuing care ward for older people

This article reports on research rooted in a work based education project and the theme of loss was chosen by the participating care staff who felt it was central to their work with dependent older people. They coined the phrase ‘living bereavement’ meaning the complex responses and grief reactions of those experiencing and bearing witness to the multiple losses endured in continuing care environments. Aim.  The research was to identify the emotional demand of living bereavement and to explore and develop care staff’s capacity to work with it. Methods.  Qualitative methods including participant observation and Reflective Work Groups were used to generate and analyse data over a three year period. A psychoanalytic dimension was added to the research through participation in a supervision group facilitated by a psychotherapist. Findings.  In the article the key message from the findings, that there is an intense emotional demand in care work related to loss and grief in continuing care environments, is explained. The trajectory of living bereavement is discussed and illustrated with examples. Implications for practice.  Some emotional aspects of the care work were glossed over or ignored which affected the way care was delivered. This may have been because the feelings were disturbing or painful to deal with. It is important to support staff working with difficult feelings so that emotional aspects of their work can be acknowledged and thought about.