Social care staff coping with grief, loss or bereavement

This is a series of blogs sharing tips and resources to cope with common issues that our staff tell us they are experiencing during the coronavirus crisis.

Coping with the loss of someone is one of life’s biggest challenges. Our recent experiences with coronavirus have raised many emotions, as stories of loss have filled our screens daily. And for many of us, we may also have lost someone close to us during this time, or been reminded about loved ones we’ve lost along the years and the special memories of good times together.

This week’s blog is about acknowledging how important it is that you give yourself time and permission to grieve.

Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you care about is taken away. Often, the pain of loss can feel overwhelming. You may experience all kinds of difficult and unexpected emotions, from shock or anger to disbelief, guilt, and profound sadness. The pain of grief can also disrupt your physical health, making it difficult to sleep, eat, or even think straight.

It’s also worth acknowledging that the interruption of normal routine, imposed restrictions on our everyday lives and the disruption coronavirus has brought about, can also result in a sense of loss and affect our emotional wellbeing and stability.

Gov.uk has just released an array of resources and support aimed specifically at social care workers at this time, all in one accessible place.

Please take the time out to look after yourselves, and stay safe and healthy. If you are struggling at any time, please ask for help, we are all in this together and it is so important that we all look out for each other.

Kirsty Millward

FitzRoy Head of Quality