It can be hard to face the loss of freedom and independence associated with placement in a care home. For many people, leaving the familiar home environment, losing a sense of independence and connections with friends and neighbours, can all lead to feelings of intense grief and loss. When the person needing care is someone with dementia, decisions and losses can be even more complex.

It is also important to acknowledge that within care homes, residents form close-knit bonds and friendships with other residents.  Due to the nature of care homes being there to provide care and support for people as they approach the end of their lives, it is inevitable that residents will experience the death of a fellow resident.  Losing a friend within the facility can be particularly challenging, a loss can that can reverberate through the entire community.

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Mandatory training in many care homes does not include bereavement awareness training.  This leaves care home staff unskilled in acknowledging and supporting residents and family members with their grief, and prevents them from developing peer support for colleagues who will be experiencing grief when a resident they have built a strong bond with dies.

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Evolve & Flourish work with care homes to develop the skills and confidence of their staff to approach the topics of loss with their residents, providing a supportive environment in which they can share their emotions without the fear of judgement.  We also support care homes to develop Compassion Cafés (safe spaces whereby residents and/or family members can meet together with others who are sharing similar  experiences, building friendships and support networks).  

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As well supporting the development of grief support networks, Evolve & Flourish deliver creative sessions for residents to encourage the exploration of end of life topics, such as funeral wishes, legacies and memory making. We know that residents and families sometimes feel uncomfortable talking about such topics and avoid having these important conversations.  The lack of conversations about such topics inevitably can lead to family feuds after the loved one has died, with family members arguing over what they think their loved one would have wanted, at a time when in fact the family should be finding strength and comfort in being together.  This can have a lasting effect on family dynamics and relationships, and can negatively impact the journey of grief.  By having the opportunity to explore and share personal wishes in a creative and non-threatening way, residents are confident that their personal wishes will be shared, and family members are reassured that they are carrying out the wishes of their loved ones after their death.

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If you would like your care home to be recognised as a compassionate community get in touch to discuss training and service delivery options.