End of life

We need to talk about dying 

Passing away, passing on, falling asleep, departing this world… we use lots of different words to try to avoid talking about death and dying. It’s something that will happen to us all one day, but we are often reluctant to face the facts, so we use other words and phrases to avoid saying the word ‘dying’. 

Death often isn’t an easy subject to talk about, but we’ve put together a short film which can help us all to start having discussions with the people we love.

End of life care and support

The NHS has produced an online guide for people who are approaching the end of their life. Some parts of it may also be useful for people who are caring for someone who is dying, or people who want to plan for their own end of life care.

It covers what to expect, thinking about your wishes for your future care, and looking after your emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Visit nhs.uk here to view their online guide.

In the Black Country, we’re clear that the care you get in your final days should be of the same quality, no matter where you live. That’s why local health and care providers have developed a new shared strategy on palliative and end-of-life care.

Resources to help you and your family 

Here are some resources to help you and your family talk about death and dying. We’ve split them into sections, to help you find the right help at the right time.

No Barriers Here 

No Barriers Here is a unique and innovative approach to advance care planning for people with learning disabilities and a collaboration between The Mary Stevens Hospice, Dudley Voices for Choice, and Art Psychotherapist, Jed Jerwood. Learn more about No Barriers Here.

Once someone has died 

Many of us don’t have a personal experience of bereavement until we are quite old. We may find that we struggle to know what to say to someone who has been bereaved. We may worry that we may say the wrong thing and add to someone’s distress.