A model of bereavement support for general practice (GP course session 3)
About the event
This session is part of the Grief Academy course ‘Grief and Bereavement in Primary Care’.
In this session, Dr Lynsey Bennett and Dr Sheena Sharma will introduce their consultation model of bereavement support in general practice. They’ll offer practical strategies to identify where patients are in their grief and offer appropriate, person-centred support.
Key Topics:
- Grief as Non-Linear: Grief has no endpoint; instead, individuals shift fluidly in and out of acute grief; meaning-making; and looking forward or re-engaging with life. This movement is natural.
- Communication Styles and Skills: Practical strategies to support patients with different aspects of their grief, including how to have difficult conversations with confidence.
- Person-Centred Care: Features of compassionate support for grieving patients, such as using the name of the person who died, acknowledging that all bereavement responses are valid, and responding with kindness rather than platitudes.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe a model of bereavement support for general practice
- Apply this model to their own clinical practice
- Describe how to communicate effectively and compassionately with bereaved patients and families
