Staff going to patient funeral

[greenebee]

If a relative of yours died, and staff from the hospital where they were cared for attended the funeral, would you find it distressing? Or think it a comfort/nice thing to do?

i dont think it would even register to me
i cant even remember who was or wasnt at my dads funeral

Hospice staff go to the funeral if they have cared for a family member I vaguely recall seeing them at one.

I think it would depend hugely on the relationship.

My great aunt was a real character and her funeral was attended by 2 carers from the home she was in and a hospital nurse from her stays there. On their own time. It was a lovely testament to her ability to make people laugh right till the end.

Otoh if you had had any difficulties with the patient or the family I would stay away.

As a health professional, I would hope it would be interpreted as a kindness, staff felt they had a connection or reason to want to pay their respects.
I would always respect family wishes though.

I fail to see why it would be distressing. How odd. They are simply lovely people who want to pay their respects to a person they cared for.

When my friend's baby died, the hospital anaesthetist who tried to resuscitate him came to the funeral. It showed he really cared and was much appreciated by the family.

A relative of mine died and a few members of the care agency who looked after her in her final weeks attended the funeral, I thought it was really lovely of them to do so. It showed that they cared and that it was more than 'just a job'.

I wouldn't register during the funeral. You tend to arrive last, go in and sit at the front.
Afterwards, I would be (was) hugely touched by it.

It is a real comfort to know how many people held my parents in such high regard. The fact they wouldn't in any way be expected to be tthere would indicate the person who had died had made a real impression upon them.

Very respectful, I'd think.

My DH is terminally ill and if any of the nurses or doctors who have been treating him came to his funeral I would feel very comforted. He has had such great care

I have a teenage relative who has spent a lot of time in hospital. If he was to die young I know that the family would be very touched that hospital staff had gone out of their way to attend his funeral

@Aquamarine1029 I suppose I meant would it be distressing if you saw staff that looked after your loved one at the end of their life.

My mum had MND and three of her career came to her funeral. It was a lovely thing for them to do and very much appreciated by the family.

My dad used to visit his friend at a care home three times a week and two of those carers came to my dad's funeral.

I think it's a lovely sign of respect.

It would depend on if the care they give was going or not I suppose.

I don't even remember which family members came to my beautiful mums, I was too distraught anyway, but in my case, I probably would have thrown them out depending which ones attended and if I noticed.

Thanks all, I'm a cancer nurse and sometimes patients and their families have really had an impact on me, I've never known whether or not at attend a funeral and I haven't up until this point.

I sometimes go to patient’s funerals if I have worked with them for some time and built up a relationship with them. I think the relatives appreciate that we in the nhs care about them.
I don’t go to the wake afterwards.
It never occurred to me that it might be distressing.

I thought it touching and respectful that several members of the care home staff came to my Dad's funeral.

I’m a neonatal nurse and a lot of us attend the funeral if a baby in our care passes away. Parents always seem to appreciate it. Of course if we felt it was not wanted by the parents we would stay away!

I'm glad so many of you have found it touching for staff to attend. I think I would in future depending on my relationship with them and the family.

I used to work in a Care Home and went to several funerals when a resident died.

I've been to a few patient's funerals over the years. I had known and cared for them for a while though. Family were pleased to see nursing staff there.

One of the care home staff came to my mother's funeral. I thought it was a nice gesture. She was African and wore a colourful lappa (?) over her uniform which said to me that she was there in a personal capacity not just professional. It's something that really stands out in my memory although it was 10 years ago.

Most of my GP friends go to patients funerals.
Everyone I know who works in hospices goes to patient funerals.
I think it shows the relationship meant the person was more just a job to the healthcare professionals.

I have gone to funerals of patients who I have cared for long term before and I think it's generally been really appreciated by the families. When you have cared for someone right to the end it can be nice to go to the service.

I recently retired from an oncology nursing setting. In the seventeen years in this role I went to the funerals of around twenty patients. Those that I had known for a long time. I invariably got to know close family members too. They frequently invited us to the funeral and I know that without exception, they were always very touched and appreciative if me and some of my staff attended. My Dad died last year and I was very touched that some of his carers came to his funeral.