Why is it important to discuss death, dying and loss?
If as individuals and as a society we are not open about death, dying and loss then it can make things worse. For example:
- People may die without writing a will, leaving all sorts of practical and financial complications for family and friends
- If we are unable to acknowledge the reality of death and dying we may miss the opportunity to say ‘goodbye’ or ‘I love you’
- If we cannot talk about death it makes it harder to acknowledge that there are limits to what medicine can achieve, which could lead to unnecessary and futile interventions
- People sometimes tend to avoid those that are ill or bereaved, for fear of ‘upsetting them’ by saying the wrong thing, which can leave people isolated
What do we do?
- The Bucket Project makes the case about the need for, and benefits of, greater openness
- Identify and share examples of good practice
- Provide ideas, tools, information and links which members can use to engage
- Signpost individuals and organisations to useful resources, networks and contacts
- Host regular events and meetings to develop initiatives
- Interact through social networking, email, face to face and through written articles
- Promote our specially designed survey to gather statistics on attitudes towards death and dying
- Work with statutory and voluntary agencies to enable a strategic approach and ensure sustainability
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