Covid robbed chance to say final goodbyes

Hospice study reveals pandemic has changed perception of death

SOME 70% of people bereaved during the pandemic believe their loved one did not receive the death they would have wanted, research shows.

The Time to Reflect survey was commissioned by the Irish Hospice Foundation to explore the impact of Covid-19 on perceptions of death during the global virus outbreak.

Most reported the era changed their views about dying, death and bereavement, with contributors reporting a greater awareness of grief and loss.

More than half of the 2,259 respondents said they had experienced the passing of someone close to them in the outbreak. One participant in the study said: “To see a family looking in a window viewing their dying father was so traumatic and heartbreaking. It is a moment in time I will never forget.”

About 86% of participants agreed their experience of a loved one’s death was negatively affected by Covid.

Less than 20% of bereaved participants were able to spend time with their loved one before they died and more than half were not present when their loved one passed away. These difficult experiences were impacted by the Covid-19 public health measures limiting gatherings and attendance at hospitals, as well as strain placed on health and social care services.

More than 60% of those bereaved said their ability to grieve was negatively affected by the crisis which began here in March 2020.

Only 54% of respondents reported their loved one received the level of care they needed at end of life. Some 70% of people reported family and friends were excluded from funerals because of public health measures.

Meanwhile, 40% said they did not receive the support they needed following the death of a loved one. Healthcare workers were particularly impacted by the distress of

so many deaths and the challenging circumstances they faced.

The Irish Hospice Foundation now recommends placing a high importance on “person-centred compassionate end-oflife care” with family involvement in the event of future public health crises or emergencies.