Sue Ryder supports Dying Matters campaign

15 March 2010

According to new research from the Dying Matters Coalition, of which Sue Ryder is a member of, a surprising and worrying lack of preparedness for dying and death among individuals in England has been revealed.

81% of people have not written down any preferences around their own death, and only a quarter of men (25%) and just over one in three women (35%) across England have told anyone about the funeral arrangements they would like to have after they die. The survey also found that nearly two-thirds of people (60%) have not written a will – including a quarter (25%) of over-65s.

By encouraging people to talk about their own end of life issues with friends, family and loved ones, Dying Matters hopes to help make ‘a good death’ the norm for the 500,000 people plus who die in England each year.

While many people at end of life are cared for and die in accordance with their preferences, many more do not. Societal attitudes towards dying, death and bereavement mean that people often fail to talk about what they want with family or loved ones until it is too late. For example, whether they would prefer to be buried or cremated, whether they would like to donate their organs, or whether they would like to die in hospital or at home.

Inline with Dying Matters awareness week (15 – 21 March), Sue Ryder is encouraging people nationwide to talk about dying and bereavement.

Paul Woodward, Chief Executive at Sue Ryder, said: ““Dying Matters awareness week is a great platform to address cultural, societal and psychological barriers towards death and dying, and to highlight the need for a more consistent provision of end of life care services nationwide.

“We hope that better understanding and open dialogue of how end of life care can support people to live well in their own homes, as well as experience a good death – free from pain, with dignity and in their preferred place of choice – will encourage more people to think and talk about their own wishes towards the end of their lives.”

Sue Ryder provides end of life and long term care to people living with conditions including: Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke, Dementia and Parkinson's Disease. Inline with many people's preference to be cared for at home, Sue Ryder is increasingly focusing on developed community-based services to support people to be cared for in their own homes for as long as possible.

For more information on Dying Matters awareness week and the Coalition visit www.dyingmatters.org

< Back

Sue Ryder

Follow us: