Health care institutions and their staffs must take action to ensure bereavement care shifts from “an afterthought to a public health priority,” according to a position paper published in The Lancet Public Health.
Bereavement support often is considered part of palliative care; however, there often is a lack of continuity of care for bereaved individuals after a person dies in palliative or end-of-life care settings, the paper’s authors contend.
This care gap can leave bereaved individuals with feelings of abandonment and lack of access to support services, as well as