Dying Matters

Deputy Mayor, Councillor Zulfiqar Ali, pictured with Janice Sedgewick, Lead Cancer Nurse

Visitors to Rochdale town centre were encouraged to talk about the delicate issues surrounding death and bereavement today, as part of Dying Matters Awareness Week.

The borough’s Macmillan and Specialist Palliative Care Team organised an awareness bus on The Butts to talk to people about what things they need to think about in preparation for death such as making a will, organ and tissue donation, looking after children and parents, planning your funeral and where you would like to die.

Janice Sedgwick, Lead Cancer and Palliative Care Nurse, commented: “It’s not a topic most people are not very comfortable with but it’s important that people do plan in the event of their death, so that they have piece of mind that their wishes are met and that loved ones are cared for.”

Staff from Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Community Healthcare; Springhill Hospice; Rochdale Adult Care Services and Rochdale Multi-Faith Partnership were all on hand to provide advice and support. Deputy Mayor, Councillor Zulfiqar Ali, also showed his support.

A national survey conducted for the first Dying Matters awareness week found that less than a third (29%) of people have discussed their wishes around dying and only 4% have written advance care plans, despite the fact that more than two thirds (68%) of people questioned say they are comfortable talking about death. This conundrum really matters, as 70% of us also say we want to die at home, yet 60% currently die in hospitals.

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

For more information visit:

www.dyingmatters.org