Bereavement and loss: developing a memory box to support a young woman with profound learning disabilities

Accessible summary: People with profound learning disabilities can find it difficult to talk about someone they love who has died. This study is about how we used a memory box to help a bereaved young woman with profound learning disabilities. The memory box helped the bereaved young woman, her mother and paid carers to explore memories about important relationships in her life. It might be helpful to talk about relationships when helping someone with profound learning disabilities who is bereaved. Summary: Supporting bereaved people with profound learning disabilities still remains an under-researched area. Moreover, the barriers of communication and disenfranchised grief mean that they often do not receive the support they require, leading to emotional and behavioural difficulties. This article describes research using a case study design, which explored how memory box work was used to support the bereavement process with one young woman, Claire and the outcomes for Claire and her family. Exploring the history of the relationship between Claire and her brother, the work also benefitted her mother and her paid carers.