Taking Memory Making to the Next Level with the Use of Resin

Taking Memory Making to the Next Level with the Use of Resin

Aspinall E; Kelly M

BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care

2022

Memory; resin; Artifact; Bereavement; Bereavement support; Child; conference abstract; controlled study; foot; grief; hair; Hospice; Human; Memory; nut; Palliative Therapy; photography; sibling; worker

Background Memory making is the process of creating mementos of a child with a life-limiting condition, who may be at or near end of life, providing a tangible and visual connection to the child who has died. Acorns memory making work already included sensitive and specialist use of artwork, hand and footprints, hand casting and photographs of children post death. Aim(s) 1. To share how effective Resin can be as a memory making tool, capturing very personal images and mementoes for parents and carers pre- and post- the loss of their child. 2. To understand the positive impact effective memory making has on families, pre- and post- bereavement. Methods * June. The use of Resin in memory making was identified as an area of interest by a Clinical Support Worker leading on Play and Activity. * July - Sept. Working group established bringing together key palliative care professionals across the hospice who were delivering memory making and keen to develop the service further. * Sept. - Dec. Introduced the use of Resin into memory making work. Results 1. After seeing the results of the Resin art, parents are increasingly requesting ongoing memory making through the last few days of their children's lives; using Resin as a tool supports this very specialised area of work we do across hospices. 2. Parents experienced an overwhelmingly positive impact from memory making, displaying the Resin-based artefacts created in pride of place in their homes. 3. Parent and siblings referring to the impact the memory making process and ongoing value of the Resin created items in post bereavement support sessions. Conclusions Our journey with using Resin has been a progressive one and following feedback from parents we know it has positively impacted on their bereavement experience. The Resin work has been led by parent and sibling engagement who find the creative work we do with them during the end of life phase and after their loss supports them through their grief. Resin is so adaptable therefore the memory- making teams can capture pictures of children, fingerprints, hand and foot prints and locks of hair in ornaments, necklaces, key rings. We hope that by sharing our work in this area other memory making teams across the palliative care sector can consider how they too may like to add this as another optional tool for their memory making work.

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