“We talk about anything and everything. Nothing is off limits and there's never any judgement, just the warmth of being surrounded by people who understand.”
These are words from one of the bereaved relatives who attends Phyllis Tuckwell’s Listening Lounge, an informal monthly group session which is open to those whose loved one died of a terminal illness. In Dying Matters Week, 4th-10th May, Phyllis Tuckwell is joining other hospices across the UK to highlight the importance of talking about death and dying, both before and after bereavement.
27% of people find it hard to talk about death with family or friends, and 30% bottle their feelings up*. Phyllis Tuckwell, which provides palliative and end of life care for local patients and families, understands the importance of providing a supportive environment where people can talk openly about death and dying.
“Everyone has their own thoughts about death and dying, and we are responsive to their individual needs, offering them support on their own terms,” said Jill Thornton, from Phyllis Tuckwell’s Pastoral Care team. “We support people to talk about death and dying in whichever way feels most comfortable for them.”
As well as the Listening Lounge, Phyllis Tuckwell also offers individual and group counselling, pastoral care, and compassionate clinical support to its patients and their relatives and carers.
* https://www.hospiceuk.org/our-campaigns/dying-matters/dying-matters-awareness-week
All our services are free, but this is only possible due to the generosity of our amazing community. The Government/NHS only provide 25% of our costs, so we need to raise over £30,000 every day to provide our vital services.
Please donate what you can to help keep hospice care available to all those in our community who need us.
