Psychologists promote an initiative in nursing homes to help with the grieving process
Psychology professionals, through the collaborating entities of the programme for the Comprehensive Care of People with Advanced Diseases of the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation, offer a tool in 16 residential centres for the elderly in Catalonia to express emotions and say goodbye to a loved one. According to the first evaluation of the initiative, 88% of the professionals surveyed consider it useful for their practice, with a particularly positive impact on family members.
‘When a loved one leaves us, they go from living among us to living in us’. With this message and the aim of supporting residents, family members and professionals in the face of the loss of a loved one, various psychology professionals have promoted the In Memory initiative in 16 nursing homes in Catalonia. All this, through the collaborating entities of the programme for the Integral Attention to People with Advanced Diseases of the “la Caixa” Foundation. It is a book of condolences that offers a tangible space for emotional expression and remembrance, and to help people through the first stages of grief. It also allows them to say a conscious goodbye to a loved one and to give the family a testimony of the emotional imprint that they have left.
Through different activities, both the residents - companions of the deceased - and the professionals who have shared that last stage of the person's life can express their emotions and memories through words. The tool also offers guidelines and advice to help relatives manage their day-to-day lives and the grieving process. On the other hand, the psychosocial care teams (EAPS) of the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation programme are available to all those who need professional support in their grief.
According to the first evaluation of the initiative, 88% of those surveyed consider it useful for their clinical practice, with a particularly positive impact on family members.
The psychologists behind the initiative, Isabel de la Fuente and Núria Tortós, as part of the programme for the Comprehensive Care of People with Advanced Diseases and through EAPS Mutuam, reflect on grief: ‘The traces that people leave on us make us who we are, they shape us and help us. Their memory lives on in us and will always be with us. The person is not physically present, but their life continues to live on in us. Giving thanks for their life, for their story of light and shadow, for their successes and their mistakes connects us with who we are and with a love that transcends us.
Emotional and spiritual support in care homes for the elderly
In 2021, as a result of the need for psychosocial and spiritual support detected during the pandemic, the programme for Comprehensive Care for People with Advanced Diseases expanded its scope of action to include nursing homes. The aim is to improve the quality of life of people in the advanced stages of illness and their families. To this end, the psychosocial care teams (EAPS) work with the professional staff of the residences to offer specific psychosocial and spiritual intervention. Since the beginning, the teams have cared for 3,948 elderly people and 2,296 family members in residences in Catalonia. In addition, the teams also provide support and training to other professionals in the residences and promote accompaniment by volunteers.
Comprehensive Care for People with Advanced Diseases, a pioneering programme in constant innovation
The programme for the Integral Care of People with Advanced Diseases of the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation, promoted by the Ministry of Health and the health departments of the autonomous communities, consolidates its mission of complementing the current model of care for people who are at the end of their lives to ensure that different psychosocial aspects are covered: both the emotional, social and spiritual spheres of the patient and their family, as well as grief counselling and support for palliative care professionals.
Since it was launched in 2008, the programme has provided care in Spain to more than 765,000 people, that is to say 338,159 patients and 427,425 family members, through its interventions in health centres, home teams in the areas of influence and residences. It is currently implemented in 154 health centres, 176 home teams and 169 residences. By 2024, the programme had reached all Spanish provinces through a total of 65 psychosocial care teams (EAPS) made up of psychologists, social workers, nurses, doctors, pastoral agents and volunteers. In Catalonia, the programme has served a total of 81,791 patients and 93,975 family members since its inception.