App launched to help people with grief
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Bereavement expert Christopher Hall says Australians are not great at asking for help especially when it comes to grieving.
Most people simply need support from their family, friends and community, according to Mr Hall, but sometimes this can be a challenge.
“People don’t know what to say or what to do, and they are anxious about making it worse,” the chief executive of the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement told AAP.
The centre has developed an app called My Grief, officially launched on Thursday, that it hopes will help people who have lost someone close, as well as those around them who want to help.
The free app asks some simple questions before providing a tailored support strategy, with specialised advice for teenagers, school age children and preschoolers, and links to further support.
Mr Hall believes the accessibility and privacy that comes with an app should appeal to people, as well as its availability over the longer term.
“We need to think more in terms of months and years, rather than weeks and days,” he said.
“Death ends a life but it doesn’t end relationships, that person continues to be a part of our lives in our heads and our hearts.”
The app is timely for those who have lost loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far killed more than 5700 people in Australia.
More than 20 people have also died in the recent floods in New South Wales and Queensland.
The app was developed in conjunction with migrant and refugee support provider AMES Australia.
AAP
