Here at Myton, being involved with and supporting this awareness and discussion, is very close to our hearts.
In fact...
it couldn’t be closer to our hearts, which is why we are urging our supporters to join the discussion and help shape the future of end-of-life care, both here at our Hospices and across the UK.
This year, the national Dying Matters Awareness Week campaign will focus on the importance of ‘being in a good place to die’.
Something we at The Myton Hospices values above all else, whether that be in one of our Hospices, surrounded by loved ones, or in the comfort of your own home.
Where people die is changing. More people than ever are choosing home as their preferred place of death, and the Coronavirus pandemic has seen the number of people dying at home leap by tens of thousands.
In response we enhanced our Myton at Home service in Rugby and South Warwickshire to support rapid discharge of all patients identified as being in the last days or weeks of life whose preferred place of death is at home. The service now includes a registered nurse and the team care for people in their own homes 9am - 5pm, seven days a week.
But ‘being in the right place to die’ isn’t just about your physical location.
It is about your state of mind, about the right care being in place to make sure every need is catered for – for patients and their loved ones.
And it is all of these factors that Dying Matters Awareness Week is casting a spotlight on this year.
A spokesperson for Dying Matters Awareness Week said:
There is no right or wrong place to die; it will be different for everyone. But it is important for families to think about it, to talk about it and to plan for it.
At Dying Matters, we want people of all ages to be in a good place when they die - physically, emotionally and with the right care in place. Getting there means having some important conversations and taking some careful decisions.
During Dying Matters Awareness Week, we're opening up the conversation around death, dying and bereavement and asking you to think about what it means to be in a good place to die.
How can I get involved with Dying Matters Awareness Week?
You can get involved in many ways - from taking the opportunity to have a conversation with colleagues and sharing stories on social media, to actively taking steps to prepare for end of life for you or your loved ones.
What matters is that you're creating an opportunity for people to talk about being in a good place to die – physically, emotionally and with the right care in place.
During the week, people are being asked to:
- Join the Dying Matters movement, by visiting dyingmatters.org/AwarenessWeek
- Tell stories and share experiences of dying, from a patient’s perspective and from those close to them. The more that is understood about everyone’s experiences at this hugely difficult time, and the time after, the better the care provision, physical and emotional can be. Share your #DMAW21 story on Facebook, Twitter or
- Join the conversation on social media using the Hashtags #InAGoodPlace and #DMAW21.
Take a look at the Dying Matters Film below and you'll be able to hear real stories, like those of David, Ellie and Ike that demonstrate what it means to be in a good place to die.
Daily themes
The daily themes of Dying Matters Awareness Week 2021 will explore what it means to be in a good place, and how you and your loved ones can plan for the end of life. They are:
- Physically (place of death, Advance Care Planning)
- Emotionally (talking about death, making sure loved ones are cared for)
- Financially (making a will, making funeral plans)
- Spiritually (How different faith groups talk about and prepare for death)
- Digitally (Looking at digital assets, social media, online banking)
These daily themes will provide a chance to look deeper at how different aspects of dying – some not always immediately considered – can affect being ready to die and those left behind.
