Supporting people with intellectual disabilities to discuss death and bereavement

Willis, Diane; Winton, Euan; Jamieson, Kirstie; Muir, Norm; Sandison, Martine

Abstract

This article describes a public engagement project on bereavement involving people with intellectual disabilities. The project was a practical application of research findings related to discussing death, dying and bereavement with people with intellectual disabilities. The project involved working with people with intellectual disabilities, staff from organisations that support them, and nursing and design students to make artificial lilies that could be illuminated for an interactive art installation. The site for the art installation was the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh, Scotland, where lilies were provided to members of the general public. The public participated in the installation by writing a message to someone who had died, then planting the lily in the garden as a means of remembrance. Through the development and implementation of the project, the authors identified that there was a desire among people with intellectual disabilities to discuss issues of loss and grief. This project also enabled people with intellectual disabilities to be part of a community of remembrance.

Citation

Willis, D., Winton, E., Jamieson, K., Muir, N., & Sandison, M. (2020). Supporting people with intellectual disabilities to discuss death and bereavement. Learning Disability Practice, 23(2), 17-22. https://doi.org/10.7748/ldp.2020.e2045

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 29, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Mar 19, 2020
• Publication Date: Mar 26, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jul 6, 2020
• Journal: Learning Disability Practice
• Print ISSN: 1465-8712
• Electronic ISSN: 2047-8968
• Publisher: RCN Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 17-22
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.7748/ldp.2020.e2045
• Keywords: bereavement, bereavement support, breaking bad news, communication, co-production, death, end of life care, learning disability, profound learning disabilities
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2673543
• Publisher URL: https://journals.rcni.com/toc/ldp/23/3