Whānau give 'poignant and heartbreaking' accounts of relatives dying of Covid-19

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-04-01 00:01

New Zealand

Not having enough time to say goodbye, and being separated from loved ones at the time of death, are among some of the heartbreaking experiences described by family members of people who died from Covid-19 in NZ. In this qualitative study, scientists interviewed the next of kin for 22 patients who died in Wellington Hospital during the 2020 lockdown. Whānau also had positive experiences, the main factors in which were excellent nursing and medical care. The researchers recommend ways to make the situation easier on loved ones during a pandemic including daily calls with medical staff - and extra considerations for Māori, including ensuring availability of Māori healthcare staff, and observation of Māori tikanga around dying and death.

News release

From: New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA)

Next of kin for 22 patients who had died in Wellington Hospital during Levels 3 & 4 of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic (16/22 under General Medicine with an additional 6/22 who identified as Māori) from a total of 70 hospital deaths were interviewed. Whānau were asked to describe their experience of a relative dying. Whānau provided poignant and heartbreaking accounts of their experiences. The findings underscore the importance of whānau accompanying the dying patient, and non-abandonment. Pandemic policies should prioritise the needs of whānau and hospitalised patients who are dying of any illness, including: daily telephone/Zoom updates by doctors and/or nurses with whānau; having a bereavement whānau coordinator keeping in touch with relatives of patients who are dying; making follow-up telephone calls to whānau after the death; ensuring availability of Māori healthcare staff to support Māori patients and whānau; and observation of Māori tikanga around dying and death for Māori and their whānau.

Journal/
conference: New Zealand Medical Journal

Organisation/s: Wellington Hospital

Funder: N/A

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