Caregiver Stress and Staff Support in Illness, Dying and Bereavement

The need for renewal and support for those who care for seriously ill, dying and bereaved people has been acknowledged from the very beginning of the hospice and palliative care movement. While often referring to the rewards and satisfactions of the work, Dame Cicely Saunders was the first to acknowledge that helping encounters with dying patients and distressed relatives could be a source of anguish and grief for dedicated and compassionate carers.

This book discusses the challenge of finding a balance between the support needs of patients, families and staff and the resources available. With contributions from practitioners and researchers from around the world, it recognises that palliative care today is being provided in many different settings and that there are wide variations in the way individuals and organisations identify and manage the stressors that arise through the work. This unique collection of international perspectives on the complexities and management of caregiver stress and staff support extends the firm foundation Mary Vachon built over twenty years ago in her studies, and broadens the scope to include significant social, political and cultural variations on the theme.

Irene Renzenbrink is an Australian social worker and pioneer in the field of death, dying and bereavement. Having worked in hospitals and hospice/palliative care services as well as the funeral industry she has acquired a depth of practice wisdom and knowledge about all aspects of occupational stress for helping professionals.