Direct care workers' experiences of grief and needs for support.

Abstract

Background: A paucity of information is available on direct care workers' (DCWs') experiences with loss when their clients (people with intellectual and developmental disabilities [I/DD]) die. This study explored DCWs' grief experiences, their coping methods and their needs for support.

Methods: A thematic analysis approach was used to examine data from nine focus groups with 60 DCWs from five community-based organizations that provide services to people with I/DD.

Results: Three themes (factors affecting DCW loss, ways that DCWs cope with loss and organizational issues affecting the bereavement experience) and associated subthemes emerged from the data. This highlighted not only DCW professional grief experiences but how organizational communication and policy affected their grief experience.

Conclusions: DCWs experience grief in the workplace but may receive insufficient organizational bereavement supports. Recommendations are made for organizational policies and resources to improve organizational communication and assist DCWs in coping with their grief.