Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice in Moggerhanger is opening its doors on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, to provide a safe space for people to have open conversations about death.
The free drop-in event, between 10am and 2pm, takes place as part of Dying Matters Awareness Week, which aims to encourage communities to become more comfortable talking about dying and grief, and to help people sort out the practical issues about their own death such as funeral plans, writing wills and making decisions around end-of-life care.
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On the day attendees will have the opportunity to find out more about the wide range of palliative care and support services offered by the hospice and speak to Sue Ryder Nurses from the inpatient unit and community-based palliative care hub, members of the family support team and complementary therapists over a cup of tea and slice of cake.
They can also meet and learn more about the uplifting role of the hospice’s Pets as Therapy dog and meet members of Sue Ryder’s fundraising team who will be on hand to answer any questions about charitable legacies, in-memory giving and Sue Ryder’s free will writing scheme.
Birgitte Grace, Spiritual Care Coordinator at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, said, “We know that talking about death can be a very taboo subject, but having these open and honest conversations is important to help us feel more comfortable with these topics.
“Many of us have end-of-life questions we want to explore, and this event provides an opportunity for people to bring these up with experienced professionals in a safe and informal setting. For example, you might want to discuss how you can support a friend who is dying, want to know more about what an Advanced Care Plan is, what it means to leave a legacy, or even what you want your funeral to be like.”
Alice Green, Head of Clinical Services at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, adds, “We shouldn’t wait until we’re facing death to talk about the important things. Things like whether we would like to be buried or cremated, whether we would like to be an organ donor or whether we would prefer to die at home.
“Here at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice and out in the local community, we help people to have these difficult conversations every day and see first-hand the real value that planning ahead can offer.
“At Sue Ryder we do all we can to support people in meeting their dying wishes. Thinking about and telling family members or friends about your practical and personal wishes before you need to means that you can have more choice and control when the time comes and importantly it also means that you can fulfil your final wishes together.
“Our event is open to anyone and you will receive a warm welcome.”
The ‘Let’s Talk this Dying Matters Week’ event will be held at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice in Moggerhanger, MK44 3RJ on Wednesday 10 May from 10am-2pm. There is no need to register ahead of the event, just pop in for an informal chat with hospice teams. For more information email contact.stjohns@sueryder.org.
For more information on Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, visit: www.sueryder.org/stjohns
