People in the Black Country are being encouraged to break the taboo and talk about death, dying and bereavement ahead of Dying Matters Awareness Week (Monday 6 – 12 May).
Led by Hospice UK, Dying Matters Awareness Week aims to bring people and communities together to create an open culture when it comes to talking about death and grief, and help reduce the associated stress, stigma and social isolation.
The theme for this year, ‘The way we talk about Dying Matters’, will focus on the language that we use, and the conversations we have, around death and dying, specifically between healthcare professionals and patients, their carers and their families.
Dr Fran Hakkak, Medical Director at Compton Care and Clinical Lead for palliative care for the Black Country, said: “It’s important to talk about death and dying but for many people, it’s very difficult to do and they don’t know where to start. People are uncomfortable talking about it, which sadly can result in missed opportunities to share their wishes and what matters most to them.
“Everyone communicates in different ways so it’s important for hospices, the NHS and all healthcare partners to work together and offer advice and support to people around how to talk about the final stages of life and bereavement. Dying Matters Awareness Week helps to start this process and encourages people to get together and have honest, timely conversations, which are essential for good end-of-life care.”
To help tackle the stigma and open up conversations about grief and death, a range of events will be taking place across the Black Country throughout the week. You can find more information about the events on the Black Country Integrated Care Board(ICB) website.
Sally Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer for the NHS Black Country ICB, said: “Everyone will encounter death at some point in their life, and yet most people find it almost impossible to talk about.
“Struggling to communicate about death often results in missing out on adequate support while dealing with bereavement and grief, or not getting the end of life we wished for when it comes to our final moments.
“Talking about death is a difficult conversation to initiate which is why Dying Matters Awareness Week provides a great opportunity to start the conversation and to encourage people to come together to talk about having those end-of-life conversations, in whatever way, shape or form works for them.”
Health and care organisations across the Black Country have a shared strategy on end-of-life care, ensuring all patients who are in the last stages of their life get the care they need to preserve their dignity whatever their diagnosis. You can read more about the strategy on the NHS Black Country ICB website.
