Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2021
'Saying goodbye' during the COVID-19 pandemic: A document analysis of online newspapers with implications for end of life care.
News media create a sense-making narrative, shaping, reflecting and enforcing cultural ideas and experiences. Reportage of COVID-related death and bereavement illuminates public perceptions of, and responses to, the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Newspapers portrayed COVID-19 as disruptive to rituals of 'saying goodbye' before, during and after death. Adaptations were presented as insufficient attempts to ameliorate tragic situations. More nuanced and supportive reporting is recommended. Clinicians and other professionals supporting the bereaved can play an important role in offering alternative narratives.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2021
Health and social care professionals' experiences of providing end of life care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.
Health and social care professionals' ability to address the needs of patients and their relatives at end of life is likely to have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ There is a need for flexible visiting arrangements at end of life during a pandemic. A systems-level approach is necessary to promote the wellbeing of health and social care professionals providing end of life care during and after a pandemic.