A nationwide survey of bereavement care for siblings provided by paediatric palliative care teams

Background: Bereavement support is considered a core standard of care for paediatric palliative care (PPC) teams. Support for grieving siblings can present unique challenges. Developmentally appropriate care can help children navigate their grief experience. Objectives: To describe the provider pers...

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Main Authors: Ashley Ridley, Régis Aubry, Sandra Frache
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2024-12-01
Series:Palliative Care and Social Practice
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/26323524241304782
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author Ashley Ridley
Régis Aubry
Sandra Frache
author_facet Ashley Ridley
Régis Aubry
Sandra Frache
author_sort Ashley Ridley
collection DOAJ
description Background: Bereavement support is considered a core standard of care for paediatric palliative care (PPC) teams. Support for grieving siblings can present unique challenges. Developmentally appropriate care can help children navigate their grief experience. Objectives: To describe the provider perspectives (mission and development) of bereavement care for siblings, and to describe the bereavement follow-up interventions offered for siblings by hospital-based PPC teams nationwide. Design and methods: Qualitative study conducted by semidirected telephone interviews. At least one member from each PPC team was interviewed. Interviews transcribed verbatim were analysed using grounded theory. Results: Twenty-one teams participated (response rate 91%). Most teams (80%) provided individual psychotherapy to families, and a few (28%) offered group interventions. PPC teams endeavour to expand their bereavement services and create a stronger collaboration network with community services. However, limited human resources, lack of facilities and financing, and geographical distances were frequent obstacles to bereavement care program development. Conclusion: PPC teams support bereaved siblings as an integral part of palliative care. Although PPC teams cannot meet all the needs of bereaved families, they can serve as important reference points to consolidate knowledge of available local resources and offer well-informed guidance to families and community users. Greater public awareness of childhood bereavement and engaging with community structures could help overcome some of the common obstacles to service development. Further studies are warranted in evaluating bereavement services in France and in other healthcare systems.
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spelling doaj-art-e20e8108a68944dba0c9b1c6042e18b52024-12-17T07:03:19ZengSAGE PublishingPalliative Care and Social Practice2632-35242024-12-011810.1177/26323524241304782A nationwide survey of bereavement care for siblings provided by paediatric palliative care teamsAshley RidleyRégis AubrySandra FracheBackground: Bereavement support is considered a core standard of care for paediatric palliative care (PPC) teams. Support for grieving siblings can present unique challenges. Developmentally appropriate care can help children navigate their grief experience. Objectives: To describe the provider perspectives (mission and development) of bereavement care for siblings, and to describe the bereavement follow-up interventions offered for siblings by hospital-based PPC teams nationwide. Design and methods: Qualitative study conducted by semidirected telephone interviews. At least one member from each PPC team was interviewed. Interviews transcribed verbatim were analysed using grounded theory. Results: Twenty-one teams participated (response rate 91%). Most teams (80%) provided individual psychotherapy to families, and a few (28%) offered group interventions. PPC teams endeavour to expand their bereavement services and create a stronger collaboration network with community services. However, limited human resources, lack of facilities and financing, and geographical distances were frequent obstacles to bereavement care program development. Conclusion: PPC teams support bereaved siblings as an integral part of palliative care. Although PPC teams cannot meet all the needs of bereaved families, they can serve as important reference points to consolidate knowledge of available local resources and offer well-informed guidance to families and community users. Greater public awareness of childhood bereavement and engaging with community structures could help overcome some of the common obstacles to service development. Further studies are warranted in evaluating bereavement services in France and in other healthcare systems.https://doi.org/10.1177/26323524241304782
spellingShingle Ashley Ridley
Régis Aubry
Sandra Frache
A nationwide survey of bereavement care for siblings provided by paediatric palliative care teams
Palliative Care and Social Practice
title A nationwide survey of bereavement care for siblings provided by paediatric palliative care teams
title_full A nationwide survey of bereavement care for siblings provided by paediatric palliative care teams
title_fullStr A nationwide survey of bereavement care for siblings provided by paediatric palliative care teams
title_full_unstemmed A nationwide survey of bereavement care for siblings provided by paediatric palliative care teams
title_short A nationwide survey of bereavement care for siblings provided by paediatric palliative care teams
title_sort nationwide survey of bereavement care for siblings provided by paediatric palliative care teams
url https://doi.org/10.1177/26323524241304782
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