SOURCE: St Christopher's | TYPE: Tips

• It is very difficult to make sense of a death, sudden or expected. We are unable to make meaning of it for some time. We need to find ways in place of the previously recognised opportunities to gather and remember in the days after a death.

• What rituals have been traditional in your family around a funeral or afterwards? Think how you might use these at home. Are there prayers or poems or prose or music that has a particular resonance and importance to you, or to the person who has died?

• For the funeral, ask if it is possible to livestream the event so that family and friends can join this remotely.

• Plan an event in the future when you can gather as a family with friends. What would be appropriate? Sharing stories, planning a eulogy or tribute, creating a photo montage.

• Take time to remember alone. If lighting a candle or writing your memories helps with the remembering, these are good ways to hold the person who has died in your thoughts.

For more support you could visit https://www.cruse.org.uk/coronavirus/funerals

SOURCE: St Christopher's | TYPE: Tips

• Not being present when a relative dies, having the opportunity to say ‘goodbye’ or being unable to attend a funeral or memorial service can make grief more complicated to navigate. Saying goodbye matters. Each person must find their own ways to seek, create and take memories which allow the person who has died to remain present in the life of the bereaved even though physically absent.
  
• Sharing stories and memories of the person who has died, either by writing a journal, or a joint phone call, or writing memories down helps to keep the person ‘alive’ in our thoughts.
  
• Find a time in the year when the social situation changes when you can gather together to memorialise. In this, tell your memories, share pictures, allow yourselves to feel the sadness of the occasion as well and the happier memories you have.
  
• It is possible to create memorial pages on social media sites. These can be accessed by several people who have permission from the page ‘owner.’
  
• St Christopher’s has our own memorial pages for those who would like to develop their own away from social media. These allow memories to be written, photos to be added and ‘virtual candles’ to be lit.
  
• The date of a death, a birthday or important anniversary can become occasions when the person who has died is remembered.
  
• Bereavement does not end, it is lived with, and men and women remain bereaved. Enabling personal and shared opportunities to remember and memorialise recognises the we have continuing bonds with the deceased person.

SOURCE: St Christopher's | TYPE: Tips

• It’s better to do something than nothing – to acknowledge loss rather than ignore it
  
• Look for invitations to talk from the other person. If they start talking about the person who has died, encourage them, even if it seems to make them upset
  
• Be comforting when opening up the conversation rather business-like
  
• Try and create an environment where the person has the freedom to talk or not talk, according to what they want. “I’m around all day if you fancy a chat…” 
  
• Grief has its own pace and time so it will be different for each one of us. There should be no expectation on a bereaved person, for instance, that they need to cry – or stop crying – they will find a way through this that’s best for them

Further support can be found at
St Christopher’s Bereavement Team 020 8768 4599, info@stchristophers.org.uk 

Or https://www.thegoodgrieftrust.org/

SOURCE: Department of Health and Social Care, NHS, Public Health England | TYPE: Guidance

SOURCE: Compassing In Dying | TYPE: Guidance

This framework has been designed to support GPs to have advance care planning conversations
with patients by phone or video, in the context of COVID-19. It is a tool to help you have honest
and open conversations.

SOURCE: St Christopher's | TYPE: Helpline

If you need any advice or support during this time, please call us on 020 8768 4582

SOURCE: Nursing Times | TYPE: Articles

Nursing Times article advising clinicians not to use the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) when assessing whether people with learning disabilities and other conditions should be admitted to critical care. 

SOURCE: Hospice UK | TYPE: Guidance

This guidance is produced to help support people who are caring for someone who is dying at home from COVID-19 infection

SOURCE: NHS | TYPE: Guidance

NHS Clinical Guide for Management of Palliative Care in Hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic

SOURCE: Association for Palliative Medicine, Royal College of General Practitioners | TYPE: Guidance

A guide to end of life care symptom control when a person is dying from Covid-19 for General Practice Teams, prepared by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Association for Palliative Medicine.

SOURCE: Marie Curie | TYPE: Weblinks and Resource Lists

Marie Curie’s advice on understanding covid-19 if you’re affected by a terminal illness

SOURCE: Marie Curie | TYPE: Guidance

Marie Curie’s advice on understanding Covid-19 if you’re affected by a terminal illness:

SOURCE: Department of Health and Social Care | TYPE: Guidance

Guidance for health and social care staff who are caring for, or treating, a person who lacks the relevant mental capacity.

SOURCE: NHS | TYPE: Virtual learning

This programme is freely available to colleagues working in the NHS, independent sector and social care.

SOURCE: Royal College of General Practitioners | TYPE: Weblinks and Resource Lists

The Royal College of GP’s coronavirus resource hub which includes a palliative care section

SOURCE: Learning Disability Wales | TYPE: Weblinks and Resource Lists

Learning Disability Wales guidance resources for Covid-19 

SOURCE: Carers in Southampton | TYPE: Weblinks and Resource Lists

Carers in Southampton, Covid 19 learning disability resources

SOURCE: NICE | TYPE: Guidance

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Covid 19 Guidance on supporting staff who are self-isolating, communicating with patients, remote working and reviewing and stopping critical care treatment 

SOURCE: Association for Palliative Medicine, Royal College of General Practitioners | TYPE:

Community palliative, end of life and bereavement care in the Covid-19 pandemic

A guide to end of life care symptom control when a person is dying from Covid-19 for General Practice Teams, prepared by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Association for Palliative Medicine.

SOURCE: Royal College of Psychiatrists | TYPE: Guidance

Royal College of Psychiatrists, Community and inpatient services – COVID-19 guidance for clinicians

SOURCE: Public Health England | TYPE: Guidance

SOURCE: Department of Health and Social Care | TYPE: Guidance

SOURCE: Health Education England | TYPE: Guidance

HEE guidance: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, HEE, Skills for Care and the Department of Health and Social Care have decided to extend the deadline for tenders for trial and evaluation partners for the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training to 24 April at 18:00. This was communicated on 18 March, to those who had expressed an interest in bidding. The delay of one month extends the time existing bidders have left to submit from 7 to 26 working days

SOURCE: NHS | TYPE: Weblinks and Resource Lists

Personal protective equipment (PPE), environmental decontamination, clinical waste and aerosol generating procedures.

SOURCE: NHS | TYPE: Weblinks and Resource Lists

A range of resources and printable materials from Oxford Health NHS

SOURCE: National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care and Low Secure Units | TYPE: Guidance

National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care guidance on supporting patients presenting acute disturbance

SOURCE: British Geriatrics Society | TYPE: Weblinks and Resource Lists

British Geriatrics Society have developed guidance to help care home staff and NHS staff who work with them to support residents

SOURCE: Social Care Institute for Excellence | TYPE: Guidance

Mental Capacity Assessment

SOURCE: NHS | TYPE: Weblinks and Resource Lists

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Environmental decontamination, Clinical waste & Aerosol generating procedures

SOURCE: NHS | TYPE: Telephone

The NHS have introduced a confidential staff support line, operated by the Samaritans and free to access from 7:00am – 11:00pm, seven days a week.

SOURCE: HywelDdaHealthBoard | TYPE: Videos

YouTube video – Infection prevention control guidance to staff – Donning and Doffing

SOURCE: National Activity Providers Information | TYPE: Documents

This new resource aims to support you to acknowledge the losses you, your colleagues and the people you support are experiencing during the Covid – 19 Pandemic. We believe Activity and Care teams can play a vital role in coordinating essential activity related to saying goodbye.

Contributors include Sarah Guyan from St Christopher’s Hospice.

SOURCE: National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care | TYPE: Guidance

Managing acute disturbance in the context of COVID-19

SOURCE: Purple All Stars | TYPE: Videos

The Hand Washing Rap video made with Purple All Stars 

SOURCE: St Christopher's | TYPE: Documents

SOURCE: St Christopher's | TYPE: Training

St Christopher’s has developed an online version of our Verification of Expected Adult Death course for registered nurses to support the urgent need for expertise in this area during this time.

SOURCE: Marie Curie | TYPE: Weblinks and Resource Lists

For families: If you are unable to visit someone who is dying – what can you do instead?