Adelaide, August 19 (The Conversation) - As our society grows older, the importance of end-of-life care is becoming more pronounced. In Australia, about half of all individuals over the age of 85 pass away in aged care facilities. This shift has significant implications for those working within the aged care sector.
Research highlights that aged-care employees experience a distinct kind of grief when residents die. However, their sorrow often goes unnoticed and lacks adequate support mechanisms.
Building Connections Over Time - Aged-care workers do far more than just perform routine tasks like assisting with bathing or serving meals. They actively connect with residents and play a pivotal role in supporting them through the final stages of life.
In conducting our research, we have engaged with caregivers both in residential facilities and those offering home care. Many aged-care staff understand that death is an inevitable outcome for the people they support and that they play a key role in aiding these individuals towards a dignified end.
These caregivers often form strong, rewarding bonds with the older people they care for. Therefore, the death of a resident can lead to significant feelings of loss. One caregiver shared, "I know I cry over some of them that die […] You spend time with them and you love them." Many workers have recounted moments of being present with residents in their final hours, offering companionship by speaking with them or simply holding their hands.
Others described shedding tears not only for the deceased but also for themselves, given the involvement and connection they had experienced. A worker confided, "I think what made it worse was when her breathing got very shallow, and I knew she was coming to the end. I did go out. I told her I was going out for a minute. I went out and I had a cry because I wish that I could have saved her, but I knew that I couldn’t."
Caregivers sometimes don’t get a chance to say their goodbyes or have their grief acknowledged, even after months or years of dedicated service. One caregiver lamented, "If people die in hospital, that’s another grief. Because they don’t get to say goodbye. Often the hospital won’t tell you."
Moreover, aged-care staff frequently support the families and friends of residents as they reconcile with their loss, compounding their emotional burden as they cope with their personal grief.
Cumulative Grief - Experiencing multiple deaths can result in cumulative grief and emotional fatigue. Although workers derive meaning and fulfillment from their roles, the constant exposure to death can become overwhelming. One staff member noted, with repeated exposure to death, it's easy to "feel a little robotic. Because you’ve had to become that way to manage."
Organizational constraints like staff shortages and heavy workloads worsen feelings of burnout and dissatisfaction. Workers expressed a need for greater emotional support, with one mentioning, "Sometimes all you want to do is talk. You don’t need someone to solve anything for you. You just want to be heard."
Supporting Aged-Care Staff in Grief Management - Aged care institutions must focus on the well-being of their staff, acknowledging their grief when a resident passes away. Providing emotional support and recognizing the bonds caregivers have built with residents offers staff much-needed validation.
Simply asking how they are doing or allowing them time to process the death can make a significant impact. Workplaces should also emphasize the importance of self-care, promoting breaks, relaxation, and engagement in physical activities. Employees find value in environments that normalize and champion self-care.
It's also essential to foster open discussions on death and dying within families and communities. Hesitation to acknowledge death as a natural part of life burdens caregivers, especially if families perceive it as a failing in care.
Conversely, positive feedback from families can be deeply reassuring for staff. One caregiver fondly recalled a moment of acknowledgment from a family member, "We had a death over the weekend. A really long-term resident here. And the daughter drove in especially this morning to tell me what fantastic care she had. That makes me feel better, that what we’re doing is right."
As members of society, we must recognize the unique vulnerability of aged-care workers to grief, given the close relationships they build with residents over time. Prioritizing the well-being of this crucial workforce ensures their continued capacity to care for our loved ones as they approach life’s end. (The Conversation) GRS GRS
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