Demystifying Death
The way we talk about death nowadays is very different to how it was talked about in the past. In fact, we don’t talk about it much at all these days, or it’s considered a bit of a taboo topic. Death has become very institutionalised or...
The way we talk about death nowadays is very different to how it was talked about in the past.
In fact, we don’t talk about it much at all these days, or it’s considered a bit of a taboo topic.
Death has become very institutionalised or medicalised. Most people used to pass away in their home, surrounded by family and loved ones, but now 82% of people pass away in a medical institution.
Only 15% of funerals have any form of preplanning and yet there is a growing trend in people wanting to personalise their funeral and having some form of control over their end of life experience.
And yet having open conversations, listening to people who have the knowledge and experience to give us access to information and having a safe environment to have these conversations is not something that is readily available.
With that in mind, H.Parsons is collaborating with community stakeholders to deliver the Demystifying Death series. We plan to provide a platform for the community to have safe conversations and hear from subject matter experts in planning for end of life. Families are telling us that they want to hear more about palliative care options, cultural beliefs and practices in death and funeral planning, and planning practicalities such as estate planning and advance care directives. Importantly, we’ll be encouraging conversation and discussion and questions will be welcomed.
Having access to information or some form of preplanning in place – whether it’s the music that you want at your funeral, knowing if your loved one wants to be cremated or buried or having the opportunity for a professional writer to record your story – can significantly reduce the stress for families, loved ones and the person approaching end of life. People are just not aware of the options that are available and what can be done now in order to mitigate unnecessary stress later. It’s often a difficult topic to broach and needs to be handled with respect and sensitivity.
We’re looking forward to the next session on Friday 29 April at H.Parsons in Wollongong. Our program will include information about Advanced Care Planning and cultural practices in Macedonian Orthodox funerals. This a free event and everyone who is interested in this topic is welcome to attend.
For more information contact:
H.Parsons Funeral Directors
Community Engagement
Ph: 4249 2224
