Telling those Close to the Patient

There are two main times in which you may have to tell those close to the patient. These are if the patient requests it or if the patient has died or is very unlikely to regain consciousness or mental capacity. In times such as these, you should apply these skills you would normally use when telling the patient what's happened. Take necessary measures to ensure that you are being as honest and compassionate as possible. One thing that is very important to understand about telling loved ones is that should the patient request certain details to be omitted when talking about their care, these must be respected. This also includes if the patient has died or has lost capacity, but previously requested it. You can still give those close to them the relevant information, just that nothing that the patient has requested they not know.

If the patient has passed away, the way you tell those that were close to them must be done in a sensitive and empathetic manner. You should tend to the needs of bereaved people and be able to offer them the support that they may need. In your workplace, there may be designated people or a team who deal with bereavement, so should this happen, it will be prudent to get in touch with them to see what support is available. Also, think about the future when talking to those close to the patient. Make sure that they have now understood anything that has previously not been fully comprehended, or if not, make sure that they know who or where they can go to understand this and also find answers.