Hospitals often lack bereavement programs. Bereaved families often navigate grief support on their own. This problem was complicated by the early COVID-19 pandemic.
Objective:
Describe a cost neutral pilot to support next of kin (NOK) of deceased patients from our communicable disease response unit (CDRU) and palliative care unit (PCU).
Design:
Ad hoc pilot leveraging chaplains and a social worker (SW) to call NOK for grief support using a templated guide, referring interested NOK to bereavement support agencies.
Setting/Subjects:
NOK of patients who died in the CDRU and PCU at a metropolitan, quaternary care, hospital over five months.
Results:
One hundred eighty-six patients died. Eighty-one NOK were called, 51 calls were considered complete. Fourteen NOK accepted a referral for bereavement support.
Conclusions:
This cost neutral pilot successfully connected 81 NOK with either a pilot chaplain or SW for bereavement support. Fourteen NOK accepted referral for a community bereavement resource.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
MaylandCR, HardingAJ, PrestonN, et al.Supporting adults bereaved through COVID-19: A rapid review of the impact of previous pandemics on grief and bereavement. J Pain Symptom Manag, 2020; 60(2):e33–e39.
2.
PiesR.Care of the soul in the time of COVID-19. Psychiatr Times, 2020; 37(5):16–17.
3.
SelmanLE, ChaoD, SowdenR, et al.Bereavement support on the frontline of COVID-19: Recommendations for Hospital Clinicians. J Pain Symptom Manag, 2020; 60(2):e81–e86.
4.
WallaceC, WladkowskiS, GibsonA, et al.Grief during the COVID-19 pandemic: Considerations for palliative care providers. J Pain Symptom Manag, 2020; 60(1):e70–e75.
5.
PearceC, HoneyJ, LovickR, et al.‘A silent epidemic of grief`’: A survey of bereavement care provision in the UK and Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Open, 2021; 11(3):e046872.
6.
FederS, SmithD, GriffinH, et al.“Why Couldn't I Go in To See Him?” Bereaved families' perceptions of end-of-life communication during COVID-19. J Am Geriatr Soc, 2020; 69(3):587–592.
7.
StrangP, BergströmJ, MartinssonL, et al.Dying from COVID-19: Loneliness, end-of-life discussions, and support for patients and their families in nursing homes and hospitals. A national register study. J Pain Symptom Manag, 2020; 60(4):e2–e13.
8.
CarletJ, ThijsLG, AntonelliM, et al.Challenges in end-of-life care in the ICU. Intens Care Med, 2004; 30(5):770–784; doi: 10.1007/s00134-004-2241-5.
TruogR, CampbellM, CurtisR, et al.Recommendations for end-of-life care in the intensive care unit: A Consensus Statement by the American College [corrected] of Critical Care Medicine. Crit Care Med, 2008; 36(3):953–963.
11.
BanyaszA, WeiskittleR, LorenzA, et al.Bereavement service preferences of surviving family members: Variation among next of kin with depression and complicated grief. J Palliat Med, 2017; 20(10):1091–1097; doi: 10.1089/jpm.2016.0235.
12.
JacksonI.Critical care nurses' perception of a bereavement follow-up service. Intens Crit Care Nurs, 1996; 12(1):2–11.
13.
KaunonenM, TarkkaM, LaippalaP, et al.The impact of supportive telephone call intervention on grief after the death of a family member. Cancer Nurs, 2000; 23(6):483–491.
14.
ReblinM, WongA, ArnoldyF, et al.The StoryListening Project: Feasibility and acceptability of a remotely delivered intervention to alleviate grief during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Palliat Med, 2023; 26(3):327–333; doi: 10.1089/jpm.2022.0261.
15.
McAdamJ, EriksonA. Bereavement services offered in adult intensive care units in the United States. Am J Crit Care, 2016; 25(2):110–117.
16.
EgerodI, KaldanG, AlbarranJ, et al.Elements of intensive care bereavement follow-up services: A European survey. Nurs Crit Care, 2019; 24(4):201–208; doi: 10.1111/nicc.12459.
17.
AuonS, RumboldB, HowtingD, et al.Bereavement support for family caregivers: The gap between guidelines and practice in palliative care. PLoS One, 2017; 12(10):e0184750.
18.
BreenL, AounS, O'ConnorM, et al.Bridging the gaps in palliative care bereavement support: An international perspective. Death Stud, 2014; 38(1–5):54–61.
19.
KusanoA, Kenworthy-HeinigeT, ThomasC. Survey of bereavement practices of cancer care and palliative care physicians in the Pacific Northwest United States. J Oncol Pract, 2012; 8(5):275–281.
20.
MatsushimaT, AkabayashiA, NishitatenoK. The current status of bereavement follow-up in hospice and palliative care in Japan. Palliat Med, 2002; 16(2):151–158.
21.
O'ConnorM, AbbottJ-A, PayneS, et al.A comparison of bereavement services provided in hospice and palliative care settings in Australia, the UK, and the USA. Progr Palliat Care, 2009; 17(2):69–74.
ChauN, ZimmermanC, MaC. Bereavement practices of physicians in oncology and palliative care. Arch Intern Med, 2009; 169(10):963–971.
24.
ExlineJ, PargamentK, JoshuaG, et al.The religious and spiritual struggles scale: Development and initial validation. Psychol Relig Spiritual, 2014; 6(3):208–222.
25.
KingS, FitchettG, MurphyP, et al.Determining best methods to screen for religious/spiritual distress. Support Care Cancer, 2017; 25(2):471–479.
26.
LichtenthalW, RobertsK, PrigersonH. Bereavement care in the wake of COVID-19: Offering condolences and referrals. Ann Intern Med, 2020; 173(10):833–836.
27.
MilbergA, OlssonE-C, JakobssonM, et al.Family members' perceived needs for bereavement follow-up. J Pain Symptom Manage, 2008; 35(1):58–69.
SprikP, IngramD.Telehealth Chaplaincy: An Approach for Chaplains to Meet Clinical Needs During COVID-19. Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, Waltham, Massachusetts, 2020.
30.
SprikP, WalshK, BoselliD, et al.Using patient-reported religious/spiritual concerns to identify patients who accept chaplain interventions in an outpatient oncology setting. Support Care Cancer, 2019; 27(5):1861–1869.
31.
GhesquiereA, BagaajavA, MetzendorfM, et al.Hospice bereavement service delivery to family members and friends with bereavement-related mental health symptoms. Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 2019; 36(5):370–378.
32.
TorkeAM, Varner-PerezSE, BurkeES, et al.Effects of spiritual care on well-being of intensive care family surrogates: A clinical trial. J Pain Symptom Manag, 2023; 65(4):296–307; doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.12.007.
33.
SillowayCathy, GloverT, et al.Filling the void: Hospital palliative care and community hospice: A collaborative approach to providing hospital bereavement support. J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care, 2018; 14(2–3):153–161.
34.
BirkmeyerJD, BarnatoA, BirkmeyerN, et al.The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions in the United States. Health Affairs, 2020; 39(11):2010–2017; doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00980.
