GREENWICH & BEXLEY COTTAGE HOSPICE PROMOTES DYING MATTERS AWARENESS WEEK (From News Shopper)

GREENWICH & BEXLEY COTTAGE HOSPICE PROMOTES DYING MATTERS AWARENESS WEEK

2:16pm Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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Today Greenwich & Bexley Cottage Hospice joins the just under 7,000 members of the Dying Matters Coalition for a week of action (15-21 March) to encourage people to talk about their wishes towards the end of their lives, including where they want to die and their funeral plans with friends, family and loved ones.

The Dying Matters Coalition has been set up by the National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC), to raise awareness and provide the support and information needed to have these conversations with loved ones. It aims to help make dying well a natural part of a good life and through this help change attitudes and behaviours towards dying, death and bereavement and raise the profile and improve end of life care.

Research commissioned by the Dying Matters Coalition shows that less than a third (29%) of people have discussed their wishes around dying and only 4% have written advance care plans. Consequently, despite 70% of us saying that we'd like to die at home, currently 60% die in hospitals, illustrating the importance of talking openly about our wishes if we want them to be met.

Chief Executive, Kate Heaps, Greenwich & Bexley Cottage Hospice said: "As part of our ongoing commitment to public awareness raising and education, we are pleased to be supporting Dying Matters Awareness Week. Our events include a fantastic project with Crown Woods School, Eltham working with young people to talk about death and dying and demystify hospice care; visits to the Hospice from both Greenwich and Bexley Mayors; our local MPs joining some service users for lunch at Stepping Stones (our twice monthly drop in service for patients, carers and the bereaved); and the showing of a short film at Charlton Athletic Football Club during half time on Saturday. This initiative is so important, by raising public awareness we can really make a difference to those who are affected by death and dying, making it easier for people to talk about the things that really matter to them at this difficult time, with their loved ones as well as the professionals caring for them."

Hilary Fisher, Director of the Dying Matters Coalition said: "This week is a great opportunity for people to begin conversations, it is in everyone's interest to talk about the practicalities and how we feel about dying before it is too late. Knowing loved ones have died where they wanted to be and had the funeral they would have wished can bring enormous comfort to those left behind."