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Dying Matters Week is an annual campaign, led by Hospice UK, that encourages all communities across the UK to open up the important conversations about death, dying, and bereavement.

The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘The Culture of Dying Matters’. It is an opportunity to explore how different communities and cultures talk about and deal with death and dying, and what brings them together.

There are, of course, many differences in the ways that different cultures and faiths approach and mark death and dying. But at their core, feelings about dying and our experiences of grief are universal emotions that we all share, no matter who we are or where we live.

While a friend or family member’s death can affect every person differently, studies of grieving brains have shown that there are no scientific differences in relation to race, age or religion. We can all feel the impact of the loss, helplessness, sadness – but we may do it, and show it, in different ways.

We may all talk about death and dying in a multitude of ways, but we share a common thread.

Start the conversation

For many, death can be a scary topic, and you might think, why talk about something so sad? Talking about dying or death won’t bring it any closer. However, it will help you to plan for life and help you and those around you to make the most of the time that you do have.

We understand it can be a difficult subject to approach and you may not know where to start. To help, we have created a conversation starter with some suggested questions to get you started.

Click here to download your conversation starter...

Pastoral and Spiritual Care at Oakhaven Hospice

At Oakhaven Hospice, our Pastoral and Spiritual Care team is available to all our patients, their families and loved ones. The team offers social, emotional and spiritual care and is available to support and to listen deeply to people of all faiths and none.

We recognise that spirituality is understood differently by individuals: for some, it involves faith and religion, whilst for others it is about relationships, hobbies, traditions, heritage, or the natural world. Spirituality is that part of us that gives meaning, purpose and hope to our lives, connecting us with others and, for some, connecting them with a sense of something greater than themselves.

The Sanctuary in our Inpatient Unit is a dedicated place set apart for anyone to visit at any time; a place to sit and reflect. This multi-faith space provides a special space and resources to help patients and their loved ones explore and connet with their feelings and emotions.