The family should be informed if a postmortem examination is needed. In Australia, coroner's department counselling services can be of assistance. The services of a funeral director need to be engaged and the deceased's personal property handed over to relatives. As relatives may forget much of what is said, it is useful to provide a brochure containing information about the grieving process, notes on practical matters and a list of useful phone numbers. 11 Hospital staff should answer final questions and inform the family doctor.
Many relatives appreciate contact with the hospital after they leave.
They may need further information to help resolve important issues, and they like to feel that the hospital actually cares. We decided to set up a bereavement program using best practice guidelines. We aimed to provide a service that was relatively simple and easily absorbed into existing staff workload, of benefit to relatives and not intimidating to staff. The program was administered through the Social Work Department, which was responsible for keeping records of when calls were due and for coordination with medical staff. These problems were largely overcome when positive reactions from families were fed back to staff, or when staff received direct thanks or cards.