Caring for End-of-Life Carers
Carers of patients accessing adult end of life care within BCHC inpatient services have been supported by a Bereavement Link Worker, thanks to funding from Forward Carers Community Interest Company (CIC), in partnership with Birmingham Carers Hub.
The project came about after a need for more pre- and post-bereavement support for unpaid carers was identified within the Trust. Mental health charity Mind states, “Many carers say that they feel a constant anxiety about the person they care for. If feelings of anxiety are strong or last for a very long time, they can become overwhelming. They may impact your ability to live your life as fully as you want to”.
After a year of development, the initiative found financial support through a grant to BCHC Charity from Forward Carers, a CIC that aims to support those who care for elderly, frail, sick, or disabled family members.
Weekly coffee mornings for pre-bereavement support for patients and carers, facilitated by the Bereavement Link Worker, began in May 2024 at Willow House, offering a space for families and friends of palliative patients to gather, share experiences, and receive support. A relative of a patient on the ward stated, “I find it comforting when the Link Worker is around and sits with me and we chat about all sorts of topics. I find her presence reassuring.” These conversations have also raised awareness of free online support for carers, as well as signposting to Birmingham Carers Hub and other local organisations and events in a timely manner; “The Bereavement Link Worker has given me lots of written information where I can get support for carers.”
For those unable to attend coffee mornings, the Bereavement Link Worker will provide support at their bedside, providing patients and their loved ones with refreshments, and the space to discuss their thoughts and feelings. Some patients do not have family or visitors; therefore, the Link Worker will take time to sit with them to provide comfort, chat, and listen.
A telephone signposting and social prescribing service helped to support people as they navigate the emotional and practical aspects of bereavement and grieving, by providing information on local and national bereavement services tailored to their specific needs. Providing this people-centred and tailored advice to carers helps to improve overall wellbeing by encouraging self-care and independence post-bereavement.
As part of these post-bereavement calls, we were able to support a grieving elderly gentleman, whose wife had passed away. Allowing this gentleman time to talk enabled him to express how he felt in a non-judgemental environment. He was able to recognise that he needed further support and guidance, and we were able to identify specific support services to his benefit. In addition, he felt that what he was experiencing was understood, and that he felt genuinely cared for by the service. Further contact from the gentleman in the form of a text message informed us how he had really appreciated the call, stating “it’s very kind of you," and that "it was good to talk.”
One relative of another patient at Willow House said, “I have an elderly mother who is becoming increasingly fragile and dependent on carers [my sister and I]. When the Link Worker joined Willow House, she became aware of my mother’s needs and since then has really helped us by providing lots of literature and verbal support. We are very grateful… We have both now realised that there is support available to carers and that has been a comfort to us all. I would like to thank her for all that she has done for us.”
During the first year of the Forward Carers scheme, 355 carers were supported, and thanks to their positive feedback on their experiences, the project was funded for a second year. Forward Carers have informed us that there are number of local organisations and projects that will continue beyond the end of our funding in October and into 2026 to continue to support unpaid carers.
BCHC Charity funds many other initiatives that support carers pre- and post- bereavement, including providing bereavement memory boxes, offering memorial plaques on the Willow House memorial tree and the Moseley Hall Hospital Wall of Tributes, creating beautiful keepsakes such as hand casts, and much more. If you would like to know more about what BCHC Charity does, how to donate or find out how you can help, get in touch at bchc.charity@nhs.net.