Can you hear me now? The experience of a deaf family member surrounding the death of loved ones

From: Palliative Medicine

It is well documented that good communication is a vitally important issue to family members of a dying person. The challenges for a Deaf person in this situation are therefore often considerably greater. Estimates of the size of the Deaf community range from 100,000 to 1.8 million in the USA alone.  American Sign Language is considered the third most commonly used language in the USA. It is clear Deaf people are a significant demographic and this case study highlights how their needs have been largely overlooked. There is limited research concerning healthcare for the Deaf community and even less regarding care at the end of life. This study offers a framework for future research and provides valuable guidance for clinicians.

Loss and grief in young children

From: Young Exceptional Children

Most of us faced with a grieving child are likely to feel quite helpless. At such a difficult time, there is limited research into how best to inform teachers and parents to support a child dealing with loss and grief in sensitive and healthy ways. The response of teachers and parents is important for the child’s positive emotional development and to shape reactions to future loss. This article explores the issue of loss to provide a framework to address the topic.