Resources
Grief, Loss and Bereavement in COVID-19
“It is the peculiar nature of the world to go on spinning no matter what sort of heartbreak is happening”, (Sue Monikkid) – but in these changing times of COVID-19, the world has strangely stopped in some ways.
Written by the Redkite Oncology Social Work team
During this pandemic, the devastation, sadness and isolation is shared globally, and we all ‘get it’ and can understand the impact. But when it comes to bereavement, sadly many people and communities don’t understand.
Grief can be described as a deep and intense sorrow and as tough as it can be it is a natural reaction which helps us work through the losses we experience in life. With COVID-19 comes an unsettling and unsafe feeling with so many unknowns, and in the oncology world those unknowns and uncertainties are sadly a part of life. Although this paper is focusing on grief in bereavement, it can also be applied and transferred to the numerous losses that often go hand in hand throughout the oncology experience.
The current restrictions in place have added another level of grief to bereavement, which can add some extra hard and challenging moments to those who have had a loved one die. A death in the family is devastating enough, but this coupled with the concerns and worries that surround this pandemic have left many bereaved people feeling more isolated. With these running parallel, the impact on how people manage their sorrow can heighten and intensify some of those overwhelming emotions.
And during this time of restrictions and hospitals only allowing a certain number of people in to see their loved ones at any particular time, the circumstances around the death may have added to the trauma and sorrow that one can experience. Grief even without the added heavy blanket of a world pandemic can be challenging, overwhelming and scary so during this time support around you can be so important.
The circumstances of COVID-19 have put restrictions on the support that might usually have been available, such as having family or friends drop by to help with chores, to bring meals, or to help look after other children. Grief is exhausting… it’s hard work… but even during these uncertain times there are some small things that those bereaved have found helpful to manage those often intense feelings of grief and sadness…
Along with some of these ways of managing loss and grief, don’t be afraid to ask for the sort of support that you think might be helpful. Some people have shared that they feel it’s a weakness to want or need help, but it really is a sign of strength – having that courage to pick up the phone and acknowledging that this is tough. We have a lovely team of social workers here at Redkite who are only a phone call or an email away if ever you think it would be helpful to connect.
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