Mum lived in the nursing home for 10 years. Two days after Mum died I returned to go through her belongings (I had brought bags/suitcase with me) to take home or dispose of. I was greeted by all her belongings being placed in black garbage bags. I appreciate a person was waiting for her bed but found this very upsetting. I would not have had a problem if they had placed her belongings in a box in storage room for me to go through. But black garbage bags after only two days! Very disrespectful and insensitive!
Mother, died aged 90+, in a Nursing Home, County Dublin
Access to a bereavement counsellor following a death also significantly improved ratings of overall care received by relatives and friends. Just 4% of respondents reported having received support from a bereavement counsellor.
I think families providing end-of-life care at home should receive support from a grief or palliative care counsellor at the onset of homecare and if necessary throughout the process as it can be a very emotive time and place strain on relationships. Mother, died aged 80-89, at Home, County Clare
Whilst not every bereaved person will need counselling, the relatively low uptake among the survey respondents may suggest a lack of awareness of what services are available to them. Equally it may suggest that access to these services was not available to them.
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Experiences of Older People at End of Life 2025
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