We are here to get you talking says charity ahead of campaign week
A city palliative care provider is encouraging the community to get talking about death, dying and grief as part of an awareness week.
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Members of Compton Care will be out and about in Wolverhampton as part of Dying Matters Awareness Week, which runs between May 6 and May 12 and works to open up conversations around death and dying.
The theme for 2024 focuses on the language that people use, and conversations they have, around death and dying with healthcare professionals.
Throughout the week, Compton Care will be at various locations in the community offering expert advice on starting those conversations and sharing information on planning for the future and their range of specialist services.
Staff from the charity will be on hand outside the Emergency Department at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital on Tuesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 9.
The team will also be hosting a workshop at Codsall Community Hub on Thursday, May 9, and be outside the city’s ASDA store on Friday, May 10.
The charity has also produced a series of videos and resources giving guidance to help people approach this difficult subject, which can be found at comptoncare.org.uk/dyingmatters
Rachel Overfield, chief executive officer at Compton Care, said: “Every year, Dying Matters Awareness Week helps to encourage all communities to get talking about death and dying in whatever way, shape or form works for them.
"The focus this year is about the conversations people have, around death and dying with healthcare professionals.
“Talking about death and dying can be really hard, but honest, timely conversations about death and dying are essential to good end of life care.
"Being able to say what matters to you and what’s important and letting your loved ones and healthcare professionals know can reduce anxiety and help ensure your wishes are met.
"We’re looking forward to helping the local community broach this often-taboo subject and get people talking.”
Compton Care has been providing specialist, accessible care to the people of Wolverhampton, the Black Country, South Staffs and east Shropshire for more than forty years.
As well as running its 18-bed Inpatient Unit, Compton also provides a wide range of high-quality services tailored to each person including a Virtual Ward that provides hospital-level care at home.
It also has enhanced care services including psychological therapies, complementary therapies and bereavement support that helps patients and families through every aspect of their palliative care journey and beyond.
For more information and help with how to tackle conversations around death and dying, go to comptoncare.org.uk/dyingmatters.
To find out more about Compton Care’s services, please contact its 24-hour Advice and Referral Line on 01902 774570.
