Each year, the Hospice UK led coalition of organisations, Dying Matters, encourage us to get involved in an Awareness Week in May, for families, churches, groups and networks to get involved with. The theme is different each year - for example, last year it was ‘Dying to be heard’. This year the theme is ‘Being in a good place to die’ and seeks to raise awareness and start conversations about how and where we end our days. It is a chance for coalition partners, organisations and individuals to come together and open up the conversation around death, dying and bereavement.
The resources and support materials are available for us to access all year round, but the Awareness Week helps to give us a special time to focus on these important matters. There is a lot of support for the work of Dying Matters from across many different groups, carers, chaplains and healthcare professionals, especially those working in the field of palliative care.
Karen Murphy, President of the Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains, offers us a thought-provoking and timely update on the challenges and opportunities in the support and spiritual care of the dying and the bereaved, “Hospice and palliative care has continued to support patients and families over the past year, but under difficult and challenging circumstance to keep everyone safe. Chaplaincy teams have played a major role in the Covid 19 response to ensuring people have access to quality spiritual care.”
Karen goes on to say that, “Dying Matters Week is an opportunity to be thankful for spiritual care teams around the country who have been part of wider teams in palliative care, supporting staff as well as patients and their families.”
You can download lots of free resources to help you, your church and your family start conversations about death and dying, which we know is a difficult topic to know how to broach - we hope and pray that during this Awareness Week, you will feel encouraged and enabled to being these conversations and work towards helping those we love or those we minister to to be ‘in a good place to die’.
(photo above and cover photo from the Dying Matters Awareness Week 2021 Resource Pack)