One in 10 directly affected by death every year in Republic, says hospice foundation

ABOUT ONE in 10 adults is directly affected by a death every year in the Republic, according to figures from the Irish Hospice Foundation.

“That’s about 300,000 people a year who are grieving,” said the foundation’s training and development officer, Breffni McGuinness.

Speaking at the release of a DVD aimed at helping people support friends or colleagues who may be grieving, Mr McGuinness said there remained a “taboo about death”.

“People often feel very uncomfortable about approaching someone who has lost a loved one, or about talking to them or knowing how to support them,” he said.

The DVD, Lost For Words, Words For Loss, gives advice on what are the best things to say, how to help and what to do if the bereaved person needs more help than a concerned person can provide.

“Loss hits people in different ways. For some the loss may not really hit them until six or even 18 months later. Some people find the second year after someone dies harder than the first.

“We would say to people to offer practical support as well as just to be there, to listen. Simple things like cooking a meal you know they like and dropping it to the person’s house, or getting turf in for them if it’s wintertime, are really welcome and meaningful when someone is grieving.”

The DVD also looks at grief support in particular scenarios such as suicide, the death of a child and a terminal illness.

The foundation’s chief executive, Eugene Murray, said he hoped the DVD would help people feel more confident in providing effective support to people who were grieving.

He said he particularly hoped workplaces would benefit from it.

Lost for Words, Words for Lossis available at a cost of €20 from the foundation on (01) 679 3188 or by e-mail at info@hospice-foundation.ie