[singing]
This is a memorial service at Amberleigh House Care Home in Liverpool. It’s held every year to
remember the people who have sadly died. But in care homes, it’s not just the needs of the residents
and families that need to be considered at a time of bereavement. In this film, we focus on how care
homes can support their staff after the death of a resident.
When someone dies, it’s really important that we pause, and we have time as a community in the
care home. In the old days when someone died, it was a question of quickly sorting out the room,
getting everything done and dusted. And actually, where the good practice lies, is where there is that
sort of stillness, that time where the staff can come around the bed perhaps, for those who can cope
with that. To just have time to reflect, to think, to feel, and then return, carry on the work.
Liz Mumford is the manager of Amberley House, and she believes that bereavement support for staff
is an important factor that’s historically been overlooked.
It was a taboo subject and there wasn’t a lot of thought gone into bereavement and how we support
staff. Yes it was mentioned about the families and things like that but the staff were not the
important part. Evidence focused just on the families and the patients. But now, you know,
I think it’s really important to support the staff because after all, they need to deal with these
situations, and they need to know how they can deal with it and
they need to know the support is there for them.
- How are you feeling, how are you? - Still a bit shaky actually
Care worker Linda Jones is being supported by Bina Saji,
after they both experienced shock at the sudden death of a resident.
On that particular day, like every day, we put residents to bed. And those who were in need of
pressure care. And we check on them, some hourly, some two hourly. And I just looked and there was
nothing, no movement, no sound. And I quickly brought her onto her back, and realised there was
something not right. I shouted then, and there was no response. And then I got quite frightened
and I shouted, my colleague ran in.
Despite their best efforts to resuscitate the resident, she’d passed away. When a resident at
Amberleigh House dies, the staff will hold a team meeting which encourages open discussion.
Well thanks for coming to the meeting today. You know why we’re here. We’ve had a significant
event and it resulted - it affected quite a few of us, I think.
The staff have the opportunity to sort of say what they feel, the emotions they feel.
It makes them feel they’re listened to, it gives them the opportunity to be open
and honest and share their emotions.
I mean I’ve seen a few people pass away and it’s not even something you get used to…
- Yes - It’s different each time, isn’t it?
Because you’ve got different memories of that person, your relationship’s
different with that person.
Encouraging discussion is important for staff in coming to terms
with their own feelings of bereavement.
It gives the staff a feeling of self worth, they’re actually inputting some information that’s going to
help someone in the future, and therefore it sort of will help them for the future not to keep things
to themselves and just keep quiet and sort of withdraw, and it helps them move on
and make more relationships with other people.
The potential need for further support both within and outside the care home
is also raised at this meeting.
When we sum up the end of the discussion we ask the staff how they feel and we can signpost any more
support that’s needed, like counselling or maybe just a performance review, a one to one
with someone who knows them and understands how they are feeling.
On the what could’ve gone better, notice you’ve mentioned a bit about bereavement.
At Amberleigh House, bereavement support is also made a key feature of one to one
performance reviews, where mentors can monitor any longer lasting effects of bereavement,
that may not have been immediately apparent. Today the manager Elizabeth
is having her bi-monthly review with Bina.
The mentors are picked out because they’ve got a good relationship with the other staff member.
If you’ve got a relationship with somebody within your workplace, you’re going to open up
and vent - air your feelings, say, you know, this is how I feel.
Thinking about the community of the care home, the sudden feeling of loss might not actually happen,
and maybe over time you start to get the feelings around loss. It might come a long time in
the future. So it’s really important to recognise that actually if someone didn’t seem to breakdown
at the point when someone died, actually it doesn’t mean that they’re not grieving, it doesn’t mean
that they’re not feeling all kinds of things in their bodies, and in themselves. Actually having
time later on, weeks later, months later, just to sort of touch base with them, how are you doing,
how are you feeling, I know that you were very close to that resident, we recognise that. It also
communicates the fact that actually as a member of staff you are valued by that care home,
which immediately sends the right message to you, it means you are more likely to do a better job,
because you feel stronger, more supported.
While formal support like mentoring is important, the informal support that an open culture
of discussion between staff fosters, can be equally valuable.
If something happens, if something’s upset you, it’s talked about there and then. If not there
and then, in the staff room, when we take a deep breath and we discuss it. The support is ongoing,
but there’s also support from our management, our deputy management. They’re always
there to knock on the door.
The idea of open dialogue about death is extended to staff discussing it with residents
and families. This also helps staff cope with their own feelings.
We’re quite open with the residents about bereavement and if there is a death we do tell
people you know that somebody’s passed away. We offer them to go to the funeral if they want
to go. The opportunity’s there if somebody’s particularly close to somebody else.
Experts say that staff can also be helped through bereavement if the care home is
not separated from the rest of the community.
Care homes are often isolated, you know, the people who live in them, who visit them,
who work in them, they’re behind closed doors. There’s very little engagement from the wider
community. It’s really important that communities support care homes, so actually they’re seen
as thriving places, where each one of us is supporting each other.
The Home’s memorial service underlines its place in the community. With staff,
residents and relatives invited, links with the rest of the community are maintained.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Amen.
This gives the staff in particular an opportunity to receive support from further afield,
with the help of local team rector, Marion Simmons.
It is important that people are remembered as individuals, that their particular personalities
are recalled, that the impression that they leave on a person’s life is acknowledged, and that they,
the staff here are as affected, and more so in some cases by bereavement than the individual
families are. Because somehow they have to pick themselves up and carry on with their day to
day duties, and maybe face the same scenario in a few days time.
Occasionally you do develop a bond, and yes when they do pass away, it does hit you.
It can be like losing your own. It’s an occurrence that happens here. Most of them have had
really good lives. They’ve done a lot in their lives, and they die at a good age.
Those lives are marked at the memorial service, as staff, relatives and residents release balloons
to remember their loved ones. The service also brings together all of those associated
with the care home, and gives an opportunity to support each other.
Both my mum and dad spent the last days of their lives here. Without the help of the staff,
I don’t know what we would’ve done. And now I find that I can speak to the staff about
my mum and dad more than I can to my family sometimes. And they will be my friends forever.
Even though the service user’s gone, you can still maintain contacts and friends and relationships
you’ve already built up with your service user’s family. And I think it’s nice for them to come
back and think that we still remember them and they’re not just gone and forgotten,
because they’ll never be forgotten.
Five, four, three, two, one, hooray! [cheering and clapping]