Compton Care encourages open conversations during national awareness week.

Specialist palliative and bereavement support provider, Compton Care is encouraging the local community to get talking about death, dying and grief during Dying Matters Awareness Week (4-10 May).

The national campaign encourages open and honest conversations about death, dying and grief and this year’s theme focuses on the importance of talking and helping people to get the conversation started.

The charity has produced a series of videos and helpful resources giving guidance to help people approach this difficult subject, which can be found on its website, comptoncare.org.uk/dyingmatters.  Its specialist bereavement team will also be out in the community at Perton Library on Thursday 7 May and Codsall Library on 11 May.

Rachel Overfield, Chief Executive Officer at Compton Care, said “The Dying Matters Awareness campaign highlights the importance of an open culture in which people are comfortable talking about death, dying and grief.

“Talking about death and dying can be difficult, but there are lots of reasons why it matters to start the conversation. It can help you get to things organised, let the people closest to you know your wishes and make the most of the time you have together.

“Being able to say what matters to you, what’s important and letting your loved ones and healthcare professionals know, can reduce anxiety and help ensure your wishes are met. We have a number of useful recourses on our website to help people to broach this often-taboo subject and get talking.”

Compton Care has been providing specialist, accessible care to the people of Wolverhampton, the Black Country, South Staffordshire and east Shropshire for over forty years. Palliative and end of life care has advanced significantly in this time. As well as running its 18-bed Inpatient Unit, Compton also provides a wide range of high-quality services tailored to each person including a Virtual Ward that provides hospital-level care at home, and enhanced care services including psychological therapies, complementary therapies and bereavement support that helps patients and families through every aspect of their palliative care journey and beyond.

Click here for more information and help with how to start conversations around death and dying.