The Perinatal Loss Follow-up Care Toolkit guides healthcare professionals in providing follow-up care to families for one year after a perinatal loss experience. The toolkit contains a follow-up care timeline, guided scripts, and recommended assessments. The framework for the toolkit is based on Wagner’s Chronic Care Model. Perinatal loss is an ongoing experience. Parents require routine follow-up care, support and resources using a multiprofessional, collaborative approach.
Perinatal loss and grief are a complex, biopsychosocial experience requiring a holistic approach to care. The resources in this toolkit adress parents’ holistic needs using a Chronic Care Model.
Developing a Perinatal Loss Follow-up Care Program
The first step to implementing perinatal loss follow-up care is establishing a policy. The policy linked below is designed to be adapted to individual healthcare facilities. Please feel free to use this free resource to implement a perinatal loss follow-up care program.
Discharge Basket
No matter how well discharge instructions are provided, parents experiencing perinatal loss will struggle to remember the information being presented. Providing written information and practical supplies in a discharge basket is an ideal way to support families in the first few days after their loss. Listed below are recommended items to include in a discharge basket.
Discharge Booklet
This discharge booklet was developed in collaboration with parents who have experienced perinatal loss. The contents discuss parents’ holistic needs, such as bleeding, coping, talking with living children, and grieving with partners. Providing a physical copy of the book for parents at the time of discharge is recommended. Healthcare professionals are granted permission to distribute the booklet to parents with the provision that patients receive the booklet free of charge.
Guide for Healthcare Professionals
The purpose of this booklet is to serve as a guide for healthcare professionals providing follow-up care to parents in the year after a perinatal loss experience. Components of the follow-up care program include a timeline for intentional contact to assess parents’ holistic needs. A robust follow-up care program entails utilization of evidence-bades recommendations within a multidisciplinary team to empower parents to heal in their grief experience.
Basket Items
The following items are recommended:
- Sanitary Pads
- Breast Therapy Packs
- Warning Signs Infographic
- Journal & Pen
- Worry Stone
- Lavendar Sachet
- Hospital Loss Certificate
- Empathy Card (signed by staff)
- Mementoes & Memorial Items
Printables: