The death of a loved one is a devastating and painful time for the whole family, and it can also be a very confusing time.

"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I an not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep swallowing. At other times if feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the word and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me". (C. S. Lewis - A Grief Observed)

When a child has passed away

The Bristol Royal Hospital for Children Bereavement team have put together some information on where you can turn to for support after the death of a child:

http://www.uhbristol.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/your-hospitals/bristol-royal-hospital-for-children/patient-and-family-support-services/when-your-child-has-died/

When an adult has passed away:

The Bristol Royal Infirmary provides the following information for bereaved relatives.

  • Practical guidance on what to do following the death of a relative please click here.
  • For information on emotional support, please click here

University Hospital Wales provides this practical guidance on what to do following the death of a relative.