Westfield Health Bulletin: After a loved one dies, family members need care, too [Video]

Bereavement care should be a public health priority, rather than afterthought for health care institutions according to a recent article in The Lancet Public Health. Care of those in grief is often overlooked, for many reasons. But the ramifications of grief extend beyond one’s personal loss to society as whole.

The article addresses bereavement care as an extension of palliative or end-of-life care for terminal patients. It focuses on the fact that although many institutions do focus on family-centered care, that care abruptly stops with the death of the patient. Meanwhile, the family is left feeling abandoned, with no support resources to cope with their grief. If one is unable to recover from grief, they suffer mental and physical health issues. This hinders their ability to take care of their families and work, becoming a public health issue.

This is not a failing of physicians, nurses or other caregivers, it …