“Death Is Part of the Job” in Long-Term Care Homes: Supporting Direct Care Staff With Their Grief and Bereavement

SAGE Open

Jill Marcella¹ 

关键词: long-term care;    nurses;    personal support workers;    grief;    workplace wellness;   

DOI  :  10.1177/2158244015573912

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Sage Journals

【 摘 要 】

For long-term care (LTC) home staff who work directly with residents, death, dying, and grief are day-to-day experiences in their working life. However, staff are often overlooked for grief and bereavement support. This exploratory research used a qualitative approach to understand LTC staff’s grief and bereavement experience and to identify the perceived support needs of nurses and personal support workers who work in two faith-based non-profit care homes in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Findings indicated that participants’ experiences are complex, shaped by the emotional impact of each loss, the cumulative burden of ongoing grief, an organizational culture in LTC where death is hidden, and the lack of organizational attention to staffs’ support and education needs. Eight recommendations were developed from the findings. It is hoped that this research will assist in the development of organizational policy and procedures, addressing the health and well-being of direct care workers in LTC homes.

【 授权许可】

CC BY