BOOK REVIEW - Bereavement loss and learning disabilities a guide for professionals and carers

Bereavement loss and learning disabilities a guide for professionals and carers RobinGrey . Jessica Kingsley , London , 2010, pp . 176 ,ISBN 978-1-84905-020-3 . £18.99 doi: 10.1111/j.1468-3156.2010.00648.x

Robin Grey is a welcome new voice to the small but developing literature on loss and bereavement and people with learning disabilities. In the last 10–15 years, a group of professionals and academics who are concerned about this often painful, complex and difficult subject have set about researching and writing about it. They have also developed various professional networks across the United Kingdom, which have fed into this work at conferences and in various publications. The main group is the Palliative Care for People with Learning Disabilities Network (PCPLD). Interestingly, Grey’s work on the subject has not emerged from any of these networks. Grey’s book is rooted in his practical experience working in day and residential services for people with learning disabilities, then working as a counsellor in the National Health Service, which is what he does today.......
I would describe this as an entry level book. I mentioned it is rooted in Grey’s practical experience; there is, for example, no new research. I found it basic, practical and comprehensive. I think this book gives a succinct introduction to this subject. I would say it ticks all the right boxes without adding anything new to the existing literature. It reads at times like a manual, which is no bad thing and I believe that established practitioners may gain new insights from this book.


To read the full review - British Journal of Learning Disabilities. Volume 38, Issue 3, page 238,September 2010


Recommend this book for the library.