1 / 20

Bereavement and children: what school communities want from their local hospice

This study delves into the practice of discussing death and bereavement with children in school settings through collaboration between hospices and communities. It explores the impact of taboo topics and the value of open conversations in supporting children dealing with loss. The research journey involves participation and change, emphasizing the roles of schools and hospices in normalizing, educating, and supporting children through grief. Findings highlight the importance of community engagement in enhancing end-of-life care and empowering individuals to cope with loss. The study encourages capacity-building efforts to improve the quality of care and strengthen community support systems for children facing bereavement.

ktarango
Download Presentation

Bereavement and children: what school communities want from their local hospice

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Bereavement and children: what school communities want from their local hospice Dr Sally Paul School of Social and Political Science University of Strathclyde sally.paul@strath.ac.uk

  2. Outline • Background to the schools project • The PhD research process • What was done • What was learned • Questions

  3. Background: The hospice experience

  4. Background: policy and literature developments

  5. Background: practice developments • Scoping survey (UK) captured the range of practice currently being undertaken between palliative care services and their community • 66% services responded (146 out of 220 services) • 60% said social approaches were a priority for their service Paul and Sallnow (2013) Public health approaches to end-of-life care iin the UK: an online survey of palliative care services, BMJ S&PC

  6. The PhD research Aims: To understand the extent to which a social taboo exists around talking to children on death, dying and bereavement in the school setting. To explore and develop practice between the hospice and schools that facilitates conversation and education with children on death, dying and bereavement.

  7. The research process: an action research approach • Key features of action research: • Focuses on participation and change • Three phases: • Exploring/planning • Action • Evaluation • A research journey: walking and learning together

  8. The research setting and participants Two primary schools (1x catholic and 1x non-denominational) Time frame: over one school year Participants: children (9 – 12 years), parents, teachers and hospice staff

  9. What school staff said …... “old Ostrich syndrome” Phase 1: exploring/planning

  10. What children said …... “What happens to the corpse?” “How do you deal with death and dying?”

  11. Learning about death ….

  12. What parents said …...

  13. What Hospice staff said …...

  14. Phase 1 (planning): practice developments

  15. Phase 2: action (what was done)

  16. What we learned: the two-pronged approach A capacity building model

  17. What we learned • Role of schools: • Normalising • Teaching • Supporting • Role of hospice: • Raising awareness • Providing leadership • Education and training

  18. Spectrum of engagement in end-of-life care: developing community capacity Supporting factors: High level of power sharing by service Work initiated by community In response to community-identified need Communities lead on work Public as whole communities Proactive work High level of community capacity Inhibiting factors: Low level of power sharing by service Work initiated by organisation In response to top-down requirements Organisation leads on work Public as a series of individuals Opportunistic work Low level of community capacity Inform Collaborate Empower Consult Co-production Increasing community capacity and quality of care in EoLC Sallnow L and Paul S (2015) Understanding Community Engagement in Palliative Care: Developing Conceptual Clarity, Critical Public Health, 25 (2): p231 - 238

  19. Concluding thoughts • Sharing skills and expertise was essential • Better understanding of roles in relation to supporting and educating children • Upholding children’s rights • Communities caring for their own members

  20. Questions?

More Related