The way we talk about Dying Matters - Compton Care gives expert advice during national awareness week

Specialist palliative and bereavement support provider, Compton Care is encouraging the local community to get talking about death, dying and grief for Dying Matters Awareness Week (6th-12th May).

The national campaign works to open up conversations around death and dying. This year’s theme focuses on the language that we use, and conversations we 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 7^th and Thursday 9^th May. The team will also be hosting a workshop at Codsall Community Hub on Thursday 9^th May, and be outside the city’s ASDA store on Friday 10th May. 

The charity has also produced a series of videos and resources giving guidance to help people approach this difficult subject, which can be found on its website, 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 over forty years. Palliative and end of life care has advanced significantly in this time. 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, and 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 visit 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.