Dying Matters Awareness Week starts today (Monday)

NHS Berkshire has organised a series of events during Dying Matters Awareness Week to encourage people to talk openly about dying.
The primary care trust has partnered with the Sue Ryder charity, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, local authorities, local solicitors, funeral directors and voluntary sector organisations to raise awareness about end of life issues.
The events are part of the Dying Matters Awareness Week this week, which has been organised by the Dying Matters Coalition to encourage people to talk openly about dying, death and bereavement.
The scheme also encourages people to think about organ donation, will writing, and funeral plans.
Drop-in sessions will be held across Berkshire this week, with one session at the offices of West Berkshire Council, Market Street, Newbury, from 2 - 4pm tomorrow.
End of life care lead for NHS Berkshire, Andrea Ching said: “One person dies every minute in England yet many of us feel uncomfortable talking about end of life issues.
“Sadly, there is a major mismatch between people’s preferences for where they would like to die and their actual place of death – 70 per cent of people would prefer to die at home but more than half currently die in hospital.
“Talking about dying, death and bereavement is in everyone’s interests as it can help ensure that all of us can get the care and support we want, where we want it at the end of our lives.”