LET'S TALK ABOUT DEATH, DYING AND GRIEF - DYING MATTERS WEEK 2024
29 April 2024
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People across Coventry and Warwickshire are being encouraged to think about the way we talk about death, dying and grief this Dying Matters Awareness Week (6th-12th May).
Dying Matters Week is a national campaign run by Hospice UK that aims to open up conversations around a subject that many people find it hard to talk about. This year’s theme is the language we use, and conversations we have, around death and dying between healthcare professionals and patients, their carers, and their families.
Honest, timely conversations about death and dying are essential to good end of life care. Yet all too often barriers, including lack of confidence, taboos around discussing death, and confusion about who should be having these conversations mean patients, carers and families may not understand what is happening, or get all the information and support they need.
By helping people have these conversations and focusing on the language used when speaking about death and dying, the aim is to empower people to feel more confident when talking with their healthcare professionals.
There are a range of events taking place across Dying Matters Week designed to encourage people to think about the language they use when talking about death and dying, as well as providing information to help people have these often-difficult conversations.
As well as the events, there are a range of resources that have been produced by Hospice UK to help facilitate conversations and help people, and those who are supporting them, prepare for their end-of-life care and beyond. These range from getting organised before you die, to how to talk to children about dying. All of the resources are available on the Hospice UK website.
You can see a full list of the events taking place across Coventry and Warwickshire on the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System website.
A list of events taking part across the country is available on the Dying Matters Week webpage.
Jamie Soden, Acting Chief Nursing Officer, NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board, said:
“Having conversations with healthcare professionals about your end-of-life care means we can offer you the right support and ensure your wishes are respected. However, we know these conversations aren’t easy and we want to support people, their friends and families to talk about this subject openly and honestly.
“I’d encourage everyone to attend one of our Dying Matters Week events across Coventry and Warwickshire if they can. Death, dying and grief is something we will all encounter throughout our lives and it’s so important we know how to talk about it when we need to.”
Ruby Wroe, Senior Communications and Engagement Officer at Hospice UK said:
“Honest, timely discussions about death and dying are so important, they can transform the end of someone’s life and give family and friends clarity over what to expect. This Dying Matters Awareness Week, we’re starting conversations about the language we use to talk about death and dying, and why it matters.
“Whether it's with healthcare professionals, family, friends, or colleagues, we're encouraging everyone to have these important conversations and to think about the words we use to have them. We hope that speaking honestly about death mean that people get the information and support they need, when they need it.”