Living Well, Dying Well

The following article has been sent in by ADCA, Audlem District Community Action.

The Cheshire Living Well Dying Well Partnership recently hosted the "Let's Do It!" event in Cheshire.
The Partnership is led by public health professionals and is supported by Cheshire Councils and NHS Groups, McMillan Cancer Support and the three Cheshire Hospices.

Ninety individuals attended the event from a wide range of organisations across Cheshire, including volunteers from Audlem & District Community Action (ADCA). They learned about the importance of taking five key steps when we are healthy so that we are prepared if the unexpected happens.

Participants identified individual, community and organisational assets and considered how they can be used to enable, inspire and empower people to live well, age well, die well and grieve well. In support of this the vast majority of participants agreed to take at least one action where they live, work or play during the next six months.

As a result of this, in March, a trainer from the Partnership came to Audlem to speak to more ADCA volunteers to plan some local training events. ADCA are now in the process of arranging local half day courses during May with the Partnership for its volunteers and carers. The plan is then to roll out the training locally to people in the community who are interested in thinking about, talking about and taking action in relation to life, ageing, death and loss. 

A key message from the public health trainer who came to Audlem to talk to ADCA representatives is that by taking these key steps in good time, people do not have to cope with so many difficult decisions and lengthy uncertainties when they are grieving. They are then better able to cope with the loss and to spend more time remembering their loved ones.

Living Well, Dying Well

The Five Key Steps:

1. Talk to Loved Ones – Talking is important. Our plans and wishes are more likely to be carried out if we talk with people close to us. If we don't communicate with those people close to us, wills may be impossible to find and plans and wishes about care, funerals and organ donation may never be known. Talking with loved ones and friends also means that we can share our thoughts and feelings about the future together.

2. Wills & Financial Planning – Writing a will and sorting out your financial affairs can bring peace of mind. Doing these things throughout the life course means that we are prepared if the unexpected happens. It's the only way you can be sure that your wishes and plans are carried out.

3. Plan Future Care – Many of us will eventually need to be cared for. And some of us might be unable to make decisions for ourselves. Thinking about these issues and making our wishes and preferences known in advance of becoming ill or dying can bring peace of mind for ourselves and those people close to us. One way of making wishes and preferences known is by a process called Advance Care Planning (ACP).

4. Funeral Planning – Being clear about our preferences mean that when we die, those people close to us know what type of funeral we want. This can spare our family and friends the stress, and sometimes arguments, of having to make difficult decisions. Would you want to be buried or cremated? Where do you want your funeral to be held? Do you want a religious funeral? Do you want music played? The cost of funerals has increased significantly during the last five years. Paying in advance and spreading the cost over months or years can ensure that your family is not burdened with expense and stress.

5. Organ Donation – Have you thought about helping someone after your death by registering as an organ donor? You can also donate your pacemaker. More than 10,000 people in the UK need an organ transplant that could save or improve their lives. Most are waiting for a kidney, heart, lung or liver transplant. However, less than 4,000 organ transplants are carried out each year in the UK. One donor can save and improve the lives of up to nine people.

For more information, visit www.cheshirelivingwelldyingwell.org.uk

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