NHS Western Isles launches Absent Friends Project

Most people experience grief when they lose something or someone important to them. It is natural to feel sad, depressed, worried or angry. Everyone reacts differently in their own way and there is no right or wrong way to feel.

On average during the last six months of their lives, people spend 13% or 23 days in hospital.

To improve the experiences of family and carers following the bereavement of a loved one in hospital, NHS Western Isles partnered up with the Volunteer Centre to launch a pilot project.

Based on an initial idea from a Staff Nurse at Western Isles Hospital’s Medical 1 Ward, Katherine Stewart, the project aimed to improve the way that a person’s belongings are shared with their family after they pass away, by providing handmade personal bereavement bags.

This ensures the utmost respect and care for the deceased person’s belongings. Separate bereavement bags are issued for smaller personal items such as jewellery, whilst larger bereavement bags are provided for clothing.

Local sewing volunteers created a variety of samples of different designs and sizes at the end of last year, and NHS Western Isles staff provided feedback on which were the most suitable for families and carers.

Bereavement bags are now available across all NHS Western Isles Hospitals.

NHS Western Isles Chief Executive, Gordon Jamieson, said: “This project is all about supporting people who have sadly lost a loved one, and helping to improve the experience they have at such a sad time. I would like to thank Katherine Stewart for coming up with this concept and also everyone involved in taking the project forward.” 

The development of the project was supported by NHS Western Isles’ Bereavement Group.

A spokesperson from the group stated: “The bereavement bags will help alleviate the feelings of dismay and will provide a place to store special keepsakes that we can look at or put away in a safe place.”

The Absent Friends Project was funded by the Building on the Best programme whose aims are to improve palliative and end of life care in hospitals.

We would specifically like to pay tribute to and thank the local volunteers involved in this project, as we mark this year’s Volunteers Week.

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Above – Pictures: The range of bereavement bags and boxes