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. 2023 Apr;38(2):215-224.
doi: 10.1177/08258597221101826. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Interventions for Grieving and Bereaved Informal Caregivers: A Scoping Review of the Canadian Literature

Carly Thrower  1 , Carol Barrie  2   3 , Sharon Baxter  3   4 , Meryl Bloom  5 , Maria Carolina Borja  6 , Anica Butters  6 , Deborah Dudgeon  3   7   8 , Ayeshah Haque  1 , Suzanna Lee  6 , Iqra Mahmood  6 , Mehrnoush Mirhosseini  3   9   10 , Raza M Mirza  1   11   12 , Kate Murzin  3   13 , Ankita Ankita  1 , Neerjah Skantharajah  1 , Christina Vadeboncoeur  3   14   15 , Andrew Wan  1 , Christopher A Klinger  1   3   11   12   16   17
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Interventions for Grieving and Bereaved Informal Caregivers: A Scoping Review of the Canadian Literature

Carly Thrower et al. J Palliat Care. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

Background: The palliative approach to care is playing a larger role in the healthcare of older adults in Canada. Within (hospice) palliative care, informal caregivers play a crucial role as part of the interdisciplinary care team. Ensuring high quality palliative care includes providing effective grief and bereavement supports for them. Objective: This study aimed to identify current interventions addressing the grief and bereavement experiences of informal caregivers of geriatric patients in the Canadian (hospice) palliative/end-of-life care realm. Methods: A scoping review was undertaken using Arksey and O'Malley's framework. Seven electronic health and social science databases were searched. In addition, several stakeholder organizations' websites were reviewed to identify grey literature sources. Interventions that took place in Canada, were in English, and explored grief and bereavement supports for informal caregivers in an adult/geriatric (hospice) palliative care setting were included. After full text review, data were extracted and charted. Major themes were established following thematic content analysis. Results: Within a total of 18 sources, three themes were identified: (1) Classification of intervention, (2) Format of intervention, and (3) Intervention target. Method of delivery and type of intervention for grief and bereavement supports were aligned with the international literature. There is a need for large-scale evaluations of interventions and informal caregivers should be engaged in this process. Practitioners should be encouraged to direct bereavement interventions toward grieving caregivers, and to collaborate with them to improve access to these interventions. Policy makers should provide additional funding for grief interventions for informal caregivers. Conclusions: It is important to better understand the needs of informal caregivers experiencing grief and bereavement. Interdisciplinary collaborations will be necessary to develop, evaluate, and scale future interventions.

Keywords: (hospice) palliative care; Canada; bereavement; grief; informal caregivers; scoping review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA flow chart.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Themes and subthemes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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