How to support someone with a learning disability after a bereavement
When someone with a learning disability experiences the death of someone close, they may need more help to process the death. Grief can show as changes in behaviour and eating habits, or feeling tired, in pain or restless. Someone with a learning disability has often experienced multiple losses and may struggle with emotions and reactions they experience after a loss.
Someone with a learning disability is likely to need to talk about death and funerals in a very clear and simple way. They may need explanations to be repeated several times or to be given in small chunks.
Support the person to have as much information as they need. It might help to be involved in, for example, planning the funeral or making a memory box.
Below are some links which may be helpful. Please click on the links to open the document or to go to the website.
Supporting People with Disabilities coping with Grief and Loss (1MB pdf)
A leaflet containing easy-read information about death and grief and information on supporting someone with a learning disability.
Feelings you might have when someone dies – Marie Curie easy read booklet about grief, available to order or as a download.
Books Beyond Words – easy read books available to buy about death and bereavement; titles available are When Somebody Dies, When Mum Died, When Dad Died and Am I Going to Die?
Leeds Autism – information about grief and coping with bereavement