"We are all damaged, and damaged beyond repair. This is about impact, and probably the greatest demonstration I can give of that impact is that I go to bed every night and I don't sleep very well, but when I do, I really don't care if I wake up in the morning. That is the impact of what has happened - of how we have been damaged."
"Not being able to be with close family members in the final hours and days of their lives tears us apart. Many of us, and I include myself in this, because of our experience with hospitals we don't want to see healthcare professionals. We put things off because of how we were treated in the aftermath of our loved ones' deaths."
"When his mother was admitted to hospital in April 2020, she was immediately put under pressure to agree to a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) CPR. No-one was allowed to go with her. A nurse had attempted to persuade him to have his mother's body cremated, which he said was not in a nurse's remit."
Glen Grundle, representing Northern Ireland Covid Bereaved Families for Justice, testified to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry about the profound impact of pandemic losses on surviving family members. His mother died in April 2020 while he was unable to be present. Grundle described experiencing severe depression, poor sleep, and indifference to his own survival. He reported that bereaved families suffered both mental and physical health consequences, including avoidance of healthcare professionals due to negative treatment experiences following their loved ones' deaths. Grundle also raised concerns about inappropriate pressure from hospital staff regarding DNR orders and cremation decisions, stating that some information provided by healthcare workers was inaccurate.
#covid-19-pandemic-impact #bereavement-and-mental-health #healthcare-system-accountability #family-separation-during-crisis #trauma-and-long-term-consequences
Read at www.bbc.com
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