News: Bereavement, social isolation and loneliness national strategy work.

Our ALLIANCE partners hope that a new national strategy on social isolation and loneliness could lead to improved bereavement support.

As we emerge from the Christmas and New Year period many of us will have had a cheerful time with friends and family. However it can also be a very painful time of year for people who are coming to terms with the death of a family member or friend.

Through Sue Ryder’s work with relatives and friends of people who are at the end-of-life, we are aware of the support that can be needed to help people feel less alone in their grief. So the recent publication of a new Scottish Government strategy to tackle social isolation and loneliness – which recognises bereavement as a trigger for loneliness – is a welcome step forward.

Earlier this year we published a report, in partnership with Hospice UK, which identified significant problems in accessing bereavement support in Scotland. Our research also showed that the more socially isolated a person is, the more they will want some form of bereavement support but probably won’t receive that support.