The College of Health Report: Views of Bereaved Relatives
Death can change everything – priorities, perceptions, abilities, view of the world, view of ourselves, relationships and so on.
Sudden death brings with it the added dimensions of being unexpected, untimely and sometimes traumatic. The shock of the death can also be exacerbated because the family had not been told of any risk – or even told there was no risk.
Research commissioned by Epilepsy Bereaved from the College of Health with bereaved relatives (Kennelly & Riesel 2002) reveals the emotional impact on the family ranging from shock and devastation, to guilt, anger, difficulty accepting the death, and loneliness.
The aim of the study was to review health services and services for the investigation of death from relatives’ and carers’ perspectives to highlight issues that they themselves had identified as important in order to make recomendations on how the needs of people with epilepsy and their carers before and after death can be met in the future.
“I think the ignorance of not ever thinking that it could result in death is the biggest shock.”
Bereaved relative (Kennelly & Riesel 2002)
The College of Health Report: Views of Bereaved Relatives
