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Dying Matters Awareness Week: 13-19 May 2019

The Dying Matters Coalition, set up in 2009, aims to help people talk more openly about dying, death and bereavement, and to make plans for the end of life.  Its members include organisations from across the NHS, voluntary and independent health and care sectors, social care and housing sectors, a wide range of faith organisations, community organisations, schools and colleges, academic bodies, trade unions, the legal profession and the funeral sector.

This week is the annual Dying Matters Awareness campaign.  This year they are asking ‘Are we ready?’ and they are raising awareness using daily themes:

Monday – Funeral costs
Tuesday – Memorialisation
Wednesday – Grieving for a pet
Thursday – Support for those who are estranged from/have no family
Friday – Diversity and inclusion at end of life

Research undertaken in 2018 found:

  1. The majority of people say they would prefer to hear of the death of a loved one by phone.
  2. 55% of people still prefer to say “passed” or “passing” instead of “dead” or “dying” (29%).
  3. 34% of people say they rarely or never think of death.
  4. 33% say they think about death once a week or more.

The research also showed that we are not taking the appropriate actions!

  1. 35% of adults said they had made a Will.
  2. 30% had let someone know their funeral wishes.
  3. 7% had written down wishes or preferences about the care they would want if they were unable to make decisions.
  4. 25% had asked a family member about their end of life wishes.
  5. 33% registered to be an organ donor.

There is often a misconception that by talking about death, you are ‘tempting fate’.  In fact, by talking about death and associated matters and putting appropriate plans into place, there is a huge sense of relief that loved ones will know your wishes and this will make an already emotional and stressful time easier to deal with.

If you wish to talk to a friendly, approachable solicitor about the preparation of a Will, lasting powers of attorney and other estate planning matters, please contact a member of the Private Client enquiry team on +44 (0)1733 887675 who will refer you to a legal advisor in a location convenient to you.

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