Grief is experienced in many forms as we live through the COVID-19 pandemic. As a society we may be disconnected from loved ones, due to closed international and national borders and lockdowns; we may fear that our health and the health of those we love is at risk and as financial insecurity is experienced, our livelihoods are threatened. These circumstances can feel like loss and can lead to feelings of despair, especially as our sense of meaning and purpose in life is challenged.

Grief is a natural response to loss, and not just loss from a death. Emotional suffering and pain that stems from loss can feel overwhelming and can impact us at a physical level, making it difficult to eat, sleep and concentrate.

Grief can be an isolating experience and as a community we are often not very comfortable or confident in how we support those affected by loss or the death of a loved one. Not knowing what to say or how to be there for someone can stop us from reaching out and adds to that sense of isolation for the person grieving.

Grieving is a very individual experience and there is no time limit or instruction manual as to how to grieve.

The Bereavement Portal has been developed to provide information and resources for those affected by grief, for individuals, loved ones and families who support them and for health professionals, among others.  It provides links to high-quality online bereavement sites such as MyGrief App, Supporting the bereaved: Grieflink and Griefline.

Practical information is available to support individuals directly affected by the death of a loved one, including from the time of death, in the immediate days of arranging a funeral and organising the death notification, to finding help and assistance to work through painful emotions that can result from a profound loss.

There are ‘How to Help’ resources available to assist families, friends, employers and colleagues. There are also dedicated sections of the portal that help people feel more comfortable in talking with children, those with intellectual disability, and those from culturally diverse backgrounds.

For health care workers there are resources to assist general practitioners (GPs), aged care workers and palliative care staff support bereaved family members.

The bereavement portal, hosted on the SA Health website, was developed by Flinders University and supported through a grant provided by SA Health.

It is hoped that the bereavement portal will address an information gap in the area of grief and bereavement for the community and health care workers. It is anticipated that people experiencing grief and loss will find information that is supportive and helpful, at any time of the day or night, when they need it.