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There is a temptation to avoid a member of the family or a friend who is grieving, especially if you are struggling with your own grief or you are worried you might say the wrong thing. However, we need to remember the support of those close to us is vital when coping with bereavement. The most…

You may find it very difficult to know what to say to children and young people in your family about the death of a person close to them. A child's reaction to death will vary depending on how close they were to the person, the age of the child, and whether the death was sudden or expected. What …

You may have to explain to a person with a learning disability that a family member has died and are concerned about their level of understanding and how to do this. Using storyboards and memory books may be a helpful way of communicating with a person with a learning disability about death and…

If you prefer to get support from outside the family or your family network there are a range of different organisations and charities offering bereavement information both online and in print. These include: Cruse Bereavement Care Marie Curie Macmillan Cancer Support The Loss Foundatio…

Coping with bereavement is difficult when death is expected, but if the death is sudden it is even harder to deal with. A sudden death might be the result of: A murder. Road or other accident. Heart attack (which is also the second highest cause of death after cancer). Drug or alcohol o…

Accidentally or intentionally, it can also come about as a result of long-term drug and alcohol use. There are particular issues that may arise for you which make coping with grief all the more challenging: If the addiction was known to you before the death, this may have led to a strained or…

Death by suicide is particularly distressing for relatives for the following reasons: It is hard to take on board the level of despair and hopelessness that led to the person you cared for killing themselves. Maybe you feel you ought to have ‘spotted the signs' and feel guilty you didn't do…

It can be difficult to pick up the pieces after a long period of caring. Here are some issues you might want to think about in terms of moving on. Having a break You may be relieved when your caring role stops and this can make you feel guilty. This is a normal reaction. You may also feel unwell…

If you have been caring for a number of years you may be feeling very isolated and would like to link up with other former carers in a similar situation. Contact your local hospice to find out about support groups for former carers, or contact Action for Carers in Surrey. You can also speak to fo…

This information may be helpful to you if you are involved with the person that owns the estate or want to find out more about entitlements and pensions upon their death. The money, possessions, and property of someone who has died is called their ‘estate’. When a person dies, somebody has to de…