1. Grieving The Passing of A Resident
Loss.  As professionals in aging services, it is inevitable that we will encounter it in our careers.  That aspect of the job has never been easy for me. It is very sad when a resident dies, and when the family and friends of the resident are grieving, it hits home.

2. Agenda How you may feel What to expect Resources available to you
Interacting with family
What may help you grieve
Helping fellow team members
My goal today is to talk to you about the loss or passing of a resident. Share how you may feel, review symptoms of grief, what to expect, resources available to you, ways to interact with the family and to offer some tools on what may help you grieve and how you may be able to help team members grieve.

3. Resident Death Resident death is a common occurrence in this field
In a study done by the Geriatric Nurse, 72% of long term care staff reported experiencing a least one grief related symptom in the past month and the number of symptoms increased with the number of deaths experiences
The reality is that resident death is a common occurrence in this field.
In a study done by the Geriatric Nurse, 72% of long term care staff reported experiencing a least one grief related symptom in the past month and the number of symptoms increased with the number of deaths experiences.
This is difficult because we care about our residents!
Source: Nursing Home Practices Following Resident Death: Available here:

4. Grief Symptoms
Grief is a normal and natural emotional reaction to loss; you may feel:
Sad
Depressed
Concerned
Frustrated
Confused
Relieved
Thankful
Empty
Nothing
There is no right or wrong way to feel after a resident passes. Here are some common responses:
You may feel Sad as you were just starting to know the resident or really enjoyed their company
Depressed or concerned that that you did something wrong
Frustrated at yourself for letting yourself get too attached
Confused about what happened as just the other day the resident was doing well, or improving and starting to feel better
Relieved as things were getting harder for the resident
Thankful as you know the resident was in pain
Or Nothing. Maybe you didn’t know the resident very well. Maybe you have gotten used to the passing of residents or maybe you just don’t feel anything and are able to carry on your day with no emotion.
All of these feelings are normal.
TELL A STORY ABOUT A TIME YOU EXPERIENCED GRIEF AND HOW YOU EXHIBITED YOUR FEELINGS.

5. The Process – What to Expect
INSERT COMMUNITY SPECIFIC INFORMATION
Here at COMMUNITY NAME, when a resident passes, you can expect:
INSERT COMMUNITY SPECIFIC INFORMATION (provide structure to the post mortem aspects of care and most importantly, include information related to contact with family members, how they will learn of the death, removal of resident items, cleaning of room, new resident moving in…etc.).

6. Resources Available to You
INSERT INFORMATION ON COMMUNITY RESOURCES (Community rituals (moments of silence in the room or farewell rituals), availability of sympathy cards. Support groups, team member assistance, wellness initiatives...etc.)
Everyone grieves differently. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, as long as it does not interfere with the care of our other residents. It is healthy to work through it in whatever way is best for you individually. Please know that we care for you deeply and are willing to support you going through grief. Here are some available resources: INSERT COMMUNITY INFORMATION.
All of these tools are healthy and helpful, but there is no “quick fix” and there are times that dealing with loss really does feel draining.

7. Interacting with Family
Be a good listener
Allow them to talk
Don’t minimize their loss
Share memories
Refer to the resident by name
Family members may stop by to collect personal belongings or to visit and say thank you. Here are some things that may help with this interaction: [review slide]

8. Helping You Grieve Get enough rest Eat healthy
Take time with family and friends
Send a card
Attend the visitation or funeral
Ask for help
Speak with a coworker
INSERT COMMUNITY SPECIFIC RITUALS
Acknowledge and accept your limitations
It is sad when a resident dies, and can be challenging when a new resident moves into the room. Grieving may set in. These things may help you –
Get enough rest
Eat healthy
Take time with family and friends
Send a card
Attend the visitation or funeral
INSERT COMMUNITY SPECIFIC RITUALS
Acknowledge and accept your limitations

9. Helping Team Members Grieve
Send a card
Reminisce
Offer a warm hug
Offer feedback (“I noticed that you haven’t been yourself these days, are you o.k.?”)
Recognize, some may not want to talk
Just be there
Because we have many staff who care residents, there will be other team members grieving with you. It may be helpful to:
Send a card
Reminisce
Offer a warm hug
Offer feedback (“I noticed that you haven’t been yourself these days, are you o.k.?”)
Recognize some may not wanting to talk
Just be there

10. Questions or Comments?
Coping with resident loss can be very difficult and for many of you this may be your first experience with the death and dying process. What additional questions or concerns do you have? If at any time you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of the leadership team at any time. Your peers may also be very helpful resources.

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