Carla turns to Sue Ryder for help

Carla*, who lives in Inverness, has been using Sue Ryder’s online community since the death of her husband in July 2018.

After being her husband’s carer for a long period, Carla has felt very alone.

She said: “After 50 years of marriage I now feel that I’ve lost not just my husband but my best friend, my companion, my reason to be.

“I came across the Sue Ryder online community when I was feeling particularly low and I now find it very comforting to be able to communicate openly with people who are going through very similar experiences.”

Carla also believes that if someone experiences the death of someone close to them they should automatically be offered bereavement support.

Her husband was cared for at Highland Hospice, so in addition to the Sue Ryder online community she has been receiving bereavement counselling. She says: “If you don’t live locally to a hospice or your loved one wasn’t cared for in a hospice, it must be much more difficult to get support.

“I think that if you suffer a bereavement there should be an easy route to the support that you need as I suspect too many people suffer in silence.

“It would help so much if there were local groups where people could meet others and share how they feel and maybe make friends.”

*not her real name