Background: In a time of limited socialisation, visitation, and commemoration, bereaved people faced additional and unforeseen challenges that shaped their end-of-life and grief experience. How bereaved Australians dealt with these challenges during COVID-19 has yet to be documented.

Aims: To investigate the death and grief experience of Australians who had a family member/friend die from any cause during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Study Design: Qualitative component of a National mixed-methods longitudinal study.

Methods: Semi-structured one-hour interviews were conducted with 100 bereaved Australians via phone or ZOOM. Questions were tailored to the circumstances around each death (i.e. palliative care, sudden death, death in residential aged care, home death). Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings from the perspective of participants who experienced a palliative care death are reported here (n=16).

Findings: A central feature of people’s experience during COVID-19 was how they navigated risk. This was multifaceted and spanned across the death and grief trajectory. Participants described constant risk assessment in relation to interstate travel (risk of getting stuck/ financing quarantine), COVID-19 health risk (to others, themselves, and the dying), rule breaking, and conflict with others due to differing perspectives. Perceptions of risk were largely exacerbated by news coverage and social media which often led to increased health anxiety. Participants described difficulty assessing risk in the face of rapidly changing rules.

Conclusion: Inconsistent communication from governments and health authorities led to a climate of confusion and uncertainty, compounding stress. Clear, timely, and accessible information from credible sources is crucial in global crises.

 

* This presentation has been presented at the Palliative Care NSW Conference on November 5th 2022, Terrigal NSW.