‘I no longer feel alone’: meeting the needs of bereaved grandparents through a children’s hospice support group

Abstract

Background: Children’s hospices provide a range of family-centred care services, including bereavement support. Not all hospices provide specific services for grandparents. Aim: To explore how a hospice-based bereavement support group supported grandparents in their grief following the death of a grandchild. Methods: Grandparents attending a group were invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire. Questionnaires from eight groups, run between 2015 and 2019 were collated and interpreted to identify themes. Findings: 121 grandparents attended the groups; 113 returned the questionnaires (93% response). Three central themes were identified: environment and space, being with people who understand, and the opportunity to hear the stories of others. Grandparents valued hearing the stories of others, providing an opportunity to reflect on the experience of others. Conclusion: Grandparents felt supported and validated by the group. The facilitated sessions increased coping and resilience of participants, enabling grandparents to support their partner, adult children and surviving grandchildren more effectively.