Powys Teaching Health Board supports Dying Matters/Byw Nawr Week 11th – 17th May 2020

The theme for Dying Matters/Byw Nawr 2020 is ‘Dying to Be Heard’ and focuses on how we can support each other by listening. How many people want to talk about death, but feel they have no-one to talk about it? How many people are “Dying to Be Heard”? As a community we are adjusting to life with Coronavirus, and how we can best support each other with life, death, grief and loss.

Powys Teaching Health Board, PAVO and our third sector partners want to share the message - ‘You are not alone with this’.

It’s hard to talk about death, dying and grief. Yet it’s important: discussing and sharing our wishes makes it easier for our family and friends when we are gone. It’s easy to dodge that conversation with a joke or a “maybe later”, but we know it can be hard for people to talk about death and the practical aspects of getting ready for it. So, when someone wants to talk about death, we owe it to them to be the other half of that conversation, if they want to talk, we need to listen.

Advance Care Planning

Powys Teaching Health Board launched ‘My Life My Wishes’, the Advance Care Plan for Powys last year (available at http://www.powysthb.wales.nhs.uk/mylifemywishes/ ). 

My Life, My Wishes gives the people of Powys the chance to explore, talk about, and share their wishes for their future care.  People that engage with Advance Care Planning often achieve better quality of life and are more likely to die in a place of their choosing. Planning ahead can also make life much easier for grieving loved ones.

There is also an information booklet to help understand the process of advance care planning, it is designed to be easy to complete and accessible for everyone, regardless of your age or state of health. NinetyAdvance Care Planning Champions from across Powys, from within Powys Teaching Health Board, care homes, nursing homes, CREDU Carer supporters, and others have been trained up to help with the process, if needed.  People are being encouraged to think about and have those important conversations, talk about their wishes and listen to others during Dying Matters/Byw Nawr week 11th – 17th May 2020.

Powys Teaching Health Board have also launched a supplementary document for the duration of the Coronavirus Outbreak to ask those difficult questions we need to think about if we develop Coronavirus.  ‘My Life, My Wishes during the Coronavirus Outbreak’is an Advance Statement to guide discussions around your wishes, if you were unable to speak for yourself. The advance statement may be helpful for your family and loved ones, and the health care professionals who may be caring for you.

Bereavement Support

Powys Teaching Health board have been working with our partners in Powys to make sure everyone has access to support at this time. Many of the ways we usually grieve are not possible for now, but there is support available.  We have produced guidance with suggestions of how to cope with grief and loss during this difficult time (available at http://www.powysthb.wales.nhs.uk/palliative-care-specialist-nursing/ ).

Contact details for organisations offering support can be found at http://www.powysthb.wales.nhs.uk/palliative-care-specialist-nursing/ – please reach out if you are struggling with grief and loss.  Sometimes being isolated during lockdown might bring up feelings around grief and loss from some time ago – these organisations will support you no matter when your loss occurred.

We are working with our partner organisations to make sure that everyone in Powys knows that support is available. Feeling isolated or alone with grief can make it much more difficult.

Dying Matters/Byw Nawr Social Media Themes

This year, as we #StayAtHome, the Dying Matters/Byw Nawr Campaign will be shared more through social media than previous years. For more information, leaflets, and support on the week-day themes visit www.dyingmatters.org, along with @Pthb_pall_care, @PTHBhealth, @BywNawr, and @DyingMatters on Twitter.

“Dying to Be Heard?” Week-day Social Media Themes

Monday 11th – Traumatic/sudden death

Tuesday 12th – Carers

Wednesday 13th - Homelessness

Thursday 14th – Still birth and Miscarriage

Friday 15th – Mental Health

Where to find us

Llandrindod Wells Office

Unit 30
Ddole Road Industrial Estate
Llandrindod Wells
Powys
LD1 6DF

01597 822 191

Newtown Office

Plas Dolerw
Milford Road
Newtown
Powys
SY16 2EH

01686 626 220

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