The effects of bereavement on families, friends and colleagues are the inevitable and painful legacy of deaths during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Social distancing measures, while reducing the number of deaths to COVID-19, have affected all bereavements through any cause at this time, by thwarting families’ opportunities to spend time with dying loved ones, disrupting funerals, and putting barriers up to the invaluable social support that families, friends and communities can usually provide.
Our new report outlines bereavement support needs and how these are met in usual times, including the pressures and gaps in provision. It then looks at the impact of the pandemic on needs and support in December 2020, including an exploration of the funding needs of the voluntary sector. It ends with a set of recommendations.