Bereavement
Support from Chaplaincy
A Remembrance Board
During the pandemic, there have been limitations on attending the funerals of family, friends and colleagues and disruption to our usual ways of mourning. Our Chaplaincy Multi-Faith Centre have created a Remembrance Board for our staff and students to remember anyone who has died during COVID-19. You can offer a thanksgiving, write a tribute or offer condolences.
Grief and bereavement, funerals and memorials - Covid-19 update
During the pandemic many of us are having to face the deaths of people we knew and loved. Many of us are far away from the people we love when they are sick or dying. We might not be able to say good bye in the ways we would wish. The isolation also places limitations on attending the funerals of family, friends and colleagues or physically accompanying others who share our grief. These situations can add to the strong emotions we feel when someone close to us dies. We may feel sadness and anger. We may also feel confused, lost, or uncertain about our future.
Talking about loss
We all deal with loss and grief in our own way. Mourning is also a shared experience. If there were familiar routines, places and rituals for when someone dies in our family these might no longer be available to us. We might need to find new ways to mourn individually and with others. The experience of loss can itself be traumatic, particularly if a death is unexpected, disturbing and/or if we feel we haven’t had the chance to say goodbye in person or virtually.
Loss is not only related to death. We have experiences of loss through separation from others, as well as from changes of daily life, from new restrictions, and financial anxiety. We are now hearing everyday about those who have died – perhaps people we know, people our friends know, and those whose lives we see in the news and in the daily figures. One experience of loss can resonate with earlier experiences, which can be painful. We can also feel the anticipation of future losses of loved ones, when we fear about their lives or we know they are very ill or in palliative care.
Support from Chaplaincy
The Chaplains have experience of listening to people share their grief and bereavement. We understand that grieving takes time. We also know that bereavement can raise deep issues about ourselves, our relationships and the meaning we make of life.
To arrange to talk to a member of the chaplaincy on any of these or other matters please email chaplaincy@imperial.ac.uk
Funerals and Memorials
Memorials usually happen sometime after a funeral. It maybe that you would like to hold a memorial to remember and give thanks for someone you know who has died. This might be especially important at these times of separation. We do not know at present when this will be possible. But you can have some initial conversations with the Chaplaincy team now if you would find that helpful.
Resources
If you are struggling or your bereavement feels more difficult to manage due to mental health issues, please contact Imperial College Counselling and Mental Health Services for students or the staff well being pages.
Cruse Bereavement Care; dealing with bereavement and grief
Coronavirus Pandemic Bereavement
The Good Grief Trust - Coronavirus Bereavement Advice
Keeping in touch when you can’t be with someone who is so ill that they might die