Citation

Aoun SM, Lowe J, Christian KM, Rumbold B. Death Stud. 2018; ePub(ePub): 1-10.

Affiliation

Palliative Care Unit, Department of Public Health, School of Psychology and Public Health , La Trobe University , Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07481187.2018.1506835

PMID

30265833

Abstract

This is the first study to explore bereaved individuals' experiences of funeral service providers using these services' databases. A total of 839 Australians participated in a postal survey, 6-24 months into their bereavement. Funeral providers were reported to be the third most prevalent form of bereavement support after friends and family. Analysis found six themes related to perceived helpful or unhelpful support: instrumental support, professionalism, informational support, financial tension, communication, and emotional support. Funeral providers could improve their support by adopting a proactive approach to bereavement needs and offering personalized and ongoing support. We develop these suggestions by exploring their potential contributions to building community capacity around death, dying and bereavement.

Language: en