Bereaved failed by society

 HALF of North-West residents feel uncomfortable talking to someone who has been recently bereaved, according to a new study by the Dying Matters Coalition.

The findings, released today, also revealed that 24 per cent did not know what to say to a recently-bereaved person, while 46 per cent said they would only speak about it if the bereaved had mentioned it first.

A further 9 per cent said they had deliberately avoided seeing someone who had recently lost a loved one.

The research coincides with the launch of the Being There campaign which is designed to support people with what to say and do after someone has been bereaved, including over the Christmas period.

Jane Harris, whose son Joshua died in 2011 aged 22, said: “We discovered that whenever we talked about Josh to friends and family there were awkward silences and people just didn’t know what to say or do.

“The first Christmas after Josh’s death was particularly upsetting, especially when we received Christmas cards that didn’t even acknowledge his death.

“However, talking about our loss, remembering Josh’s life and being allowed to say his name really helped us, as did the kindness and support from those who went the extra mile to be there for us.”

Jane’s experience is typical of others who have been bereaved in the last five years, with the poll also finding that 34 per cent said people had changed the subject rather than talk about the loss.

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