May 4, 2023
Last Updated on May 4, 2023
Ahead of Dying Matters Awareness Week, Sheryl Smith, Jewish Care’s Emotional & Wellbeing Lead, offers a personal look back at the COVID-19 pandemic and talks about the importance of reflection as a tool to move forward.
This year, for Dying Matters Week, we are being encouraged to come together to talk about death, dying and grief in the workplace. The last few years have been especially challenging for those working in and using care services, and it is no surprise that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of both staff and service users.
As the Emotional Wellbeing Lead for Jewish Care, I provide emotional support to relatives, residents, and staff who are working on the front line in our care homes.
Whilst we continue to navigate the aftermath of COVID-19, it is important to recognise the role reflection can play in our recovery. Personally, I have found reflection has been an important part of my own recovery and wellbeing since the pandemic, helping me to gain new insights, process my emotions, and promote self-awareness. I have also found it helpful to debrief with colleagues and participate in supervision or professional development.
Looking back
At the onset of the pandemic, for me, there was a sense of isolation and loneliness. Life as we knew it was changing. How would we cope? The sense of fear and anxiety was constant, and yet, those of us who were able to went to work and ‘got on with it.’
I experienced first-hand the added responsibilities and challenges the pandemic brought. Floors were depleted, as several staff members caught the illness. Agency staff, who weren’t familiar with the home’s routines or the residents, were recruited to replace them. Pressure increased on already exhausted teams and, at times, their sense of hopelessness was palpable.
Then PPE arrived, there was wearing a mask, taking temperatures, keeping your distance, and constantly cleaning and washing hands to think about.
Arriving at work, my prevailing thought was: would another resident have died overnight? The sadness for me was often overwhelming and it was a deeply disturbing and distressing time for all concerned. A sense of uncertainty surrounded us. We did not know if or when it would end. All of this had a substantial impact on our mental health and wellbeing, but there was no time to stop and think.
My thinking time was driving to and from work. My thoughts were drawn to the demands on the staff. They needed time to stop, think and feel. After a discussion with the Registered Manager of the home where I was based, it was agreed I would offer a confidential space for staff to share their thoughts and feelings of coping with the day-to-day work during the pandemic. Staff support increased at this point, and it never lessened.
I heard the staff’s fears and anxieties of catching COVID, of passing it on to their families and to residents; their fears of dying, of returning to work after having had the virus themselves. Some staff members were so unwell they were hospitalised.
This was a particularly distressing time for families, too. Everything went online, which was amazing, but I found myself supporting relatives who were unable to be with their family member when they were dying, and not all from Covid. Their sadness, helplessness, anger, and guilt at such a desperate time felt agonising.
Relatives and staff were unable to attend the funerals, have prayers or grieve in the usual way. Grieving is a normal, natural, and necessary response to loss. Relatives and staff needed time and space to mourn, experience the loss and process it in their own way. Grief is not linear; we can oscillate between the stages. Processing grief is a journey towards acceptance and an accommodation of the loss, not a cure.
Moving forward
When we were through the worst, I delivered group sessions for staff to explore their experiences from the previous few months. Several had never expressed their feelings; there were tears. One person spoke of numerous personal losses they had undergone during the pandemic but never told anyone. I encouraged staff to make time for regular reflection.
In addition to reflection, I voiced the importance of building resilience as we move forward. Resilience gives us the ability to respond to challenges and adversity, and it can help us cope better with future tasks. Some strategies for building resilience include practising self-care, setting boundaries, and seeking support when needed. I also highlighted the importance of prioritising the wellbeing of both staff and residents as we continue to navigate the aftermath.
I believe there is still a considerable amount of psychological work to be accomplished around living through a pandemic. We experienced a collective trauma and I think the effects will remain in our unconscious.
Reflection as part of ‘recovery’ from COVID-19 is fundamental for the mental health and wellbeing of both staff and service users in care. Establishing reflection practices will promote resilience and help staff cope better with the challenges the pandemic has presented. It will help us support each other as we move forward with hope and optimism.
Sheryl Smith is Emotional Wellbeing Lead at Jewish Care.