End of Life Care Workshop to be held in South Gloucestershire
June 22nd, 2015Woody Allen famously said: It s not that I m afraid to die, I just don t want to be there when it happens .
It is recognised that most people want to die at home instead of in hospital but it doesn t always happen and now the South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group and Sirona care & health is exploring how to coordinate End of Life Care.
It is holding a workshop on June 24 in South Gloucestershire in a bid to find out what people in the community want to happen at the end of their lives.
Chiquita Cusens, a Locality Manager and End of Life Care Lead with Sirona care & health, a not for profit social enterprise, which provides specialist community health and adult social care services, said: Woody Allen s comment probably made you laugh and you may have agreed with the sentiment; however, to have the death that we want we do need to discuss it.
It s not about being morbid but being practical and talking about it doesn t bring death closer; it s planning for life and helps those we love make the most of the time that they have.
Surveys show that 63 per cent of people say they would prefer to die at home and in South Gloucestershire we are committed to further improving care for people reaching the end of life and supporting them to die at home.
We want to make sure patients and their carers feel supported and confident to cope at home at end of life where this is the patient s preference and that the right care is provided at the right time by the right services and staff.
To do this we need to talk to those whose family or friends have died in hospital which is why we re holding a special event to listen to people s experiences and get their views on our plans.
Dying people and their families can experience a tremendous sense of isolation. They can feel shut out of social circles and distanced from their communities.
It has been said that what we fear most about dying is the associated loss of control. By empowering people to express their wishes, that control can be restored.
At the meeting later this month we want people to tell us if there are any barriers or they have experienced any barriers for people in their communities achieving their preferred place of death.
The event takes place on Wednesday June 24, 10am to 1.30pm at The Manor Hall, Henfield Road, Coalpit Heath, BS36 2TG. Lunch will be provided. If you have specific needs to ensure you can attend please contact [email protected] or telephone 0117 900 2321. Staff are also happy to attend other organisation s meetings if they cannot attend the June 24 event. Please contact Beth to arrange.
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