Children who lose relatives in Lincolnshire’s hospitals are being helped through their grief thanks to generous donations by healthcare staff and the public.United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) has recently introduced children’s bereavement bags for children who visit seriously ill relatives in hospital or who have experienced a recent bereavement.
These bags contain items to help them remember their loved ones, to comfort and entertain them and to help them to cope at this difficult time. Hospital Chaplain Pamela Beattie introduced them after being called to a ward one day when a young mum had died and ward staff didn’t know what to do for the best to support her young son.
Using a sheep soft toy from her office she gave it to him and spoke about caring for him in his time of need. Recognising the difference the toy made to him support was gathered from hospital staff, volunteers and local businesses to create bags as a resource for bereaved children.
The support and community sprit has been overwhelming with people sewing bags for us and many individuals and businesses donating items to go in the bags.
We make bags for different ages of child, including something for them to play with as a distraction, something to comfort them and something to help them remember their loved ones.
Items in the bags include: • Information leaflets on bereavement for children
• Memory jigsaws
• Forget me not seeds
• Bears
• Hearts to decorate
• Colouring books
• Journals
• Small toys
Families who have been supported by a bag are in turn becoming involved with their ongoing development, including raising funds and suggesting contents.
We are in the process of collating feedback forms to enable a more formal analysis of this quality improvement.
For more information please see Facebook: Children's comfort bags-Lincoln or Twitter : @comfortbagslinc or @pambatchapel Reverend Pamela Beattie Chaplain ULHT