Perceptions of bereavement care in consultant geriatricians and advanced trainees in geriatric medicine

Objectives: To examine the perceptions of practising aged care physicians with respect to bereavement care. Method: A questionnaire survey was sent to 427 Consultant Geriatricians and Advanced Trainees in Geriatric Medicine. Results: Ninety eight percent of respondents believed it was important to provide bereavement care for patients and their families. Fifty six percent did not feel it was their role to provide this support. For those who provided bereavement care (33%), most used a combination of hospital and community based resources. Fifty nine percent of respondents believed that they had inadequate training in bereavement care. Seventy one percent of respondents were not aware of resources available to fellow colleagues experiencing difficulties coping with the death of a patient. Conclusions: Aged care physicians differ in their approaches to bereavement care. Aged care physicians may need further education in bereavement care.