Charities and NHS partners across Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), Swindon and Wiltshire are pooling resources to get people talking about death, dying and grief.
Running from 6-12 May, 2024, Dying Matters Awareness Week is an opportunity to destigmatise one of life’s ongoing taboos and make death a part of life.
Why does talking about dying matter?
Because of our ageing population, the number of deaths in the UK is projected to increase by 25% by 2048. According to the latest research, nearly 90% of respondents agreed that planning for end of life was essential, but just 14% of people had formally done so.
The local Dying Matters partners aim to reduce stress and anxiety for people living in BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW); not just for patients, but for friends and family members who may one day be caring for a loved at the end of their life, or faced with funeral planning when the individual has left no clear wishes.
Local Dying Matters partners kickstart important conversations
Dorothy House Hospice Care and Prospect Hospice are working with the BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Together Integrated Care System (BSW Together ICS), which includes partners from across all sectors of health, social care and voluntary organisations, to share vital resources to support people in having difficult conversations and planning ahead for the end of life.
The partners will also be providing a suite of resources to ensure health professionals feel comfortable having these vital conversations with their patients, focusing on ‘what matters to you?’ rather than ‘what IS the matter with you?’.
What free events and resources are available?
From a Photographic Exhibition to Death Cafés, Bereavement Help Points, free will writing, podcasts and free funeral planning tools, the Dying Matters partners will be combining forces to provide the BSW community with helpful resources and though provoking events.
Photography exhibition – 6-12 May, Dorothy House Midsomer Norton Furniture Store.
Please see below for a full list of upcoming events and resources:
Resources to support anyone with a life limiting illnessInterview with Cannes Award Winner Vicky Krieps on death literacy in Hollywood.Part of Life Poetry Library
What Happens When You Die, lunch time session with optional tour of hospice
Prospect House, Moormead Road, Wroughton, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN4 9BY
May 20
12.30pm – 1.30pm
When is the best time to make a will? David Attenborough Guided Meditation Help with funeral costs
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What is Dying Matters?
Dying Matters is a national campaign run by the charity, Hospice UK. They work with local organisations, decision-makers and the general public to make things better for people who are dying or grieving.
The way we talk about Dying Matters
Every year, people around the UK use Dying Matters Awareness Week as a moment to encourage all communities to get talking in whatever way, shape or form works for them.
This year’s theme, ‘The way we talk about Dying Matters,’ focuses on the language that we use, and conversations we have, around death and dying – specifically between healthcare professionals and patients, their carers and their families.
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