Support 100 People Care for their Loved Ones

"Death doesn't need to be taboo"

This is something that you may have heard Francis, our Project Manager say in previous updates and its true.

Avoiding talking about it may avoid a moment of awkwardness, but skirting around the issue can have a real effect on a carers life, particularly for those looking after someone approaching the end of their life.

One of the great achievements of Francis's work with this project is that he provides carers with an opportunity to have that first, often frank, conversation about death and their feelings about the future. This allows them to consider the questions they have about their caring role, that have often been avoided:

• How do I get a will in place?
• What will I do if the person I look after is unable to make decisions for themselves?

As part of this project we will be providing carers with practical answers that will help to alleviate their worries. In the coming months we will be delivering an expert workshop that will teach carers about Advanced Planning, which includes:

• Making a will - this would allow a carer and the carers for person to decide what happened to their personal assets after they die.
• Lasting Power of Attorney - this would allow a carer to choose other people to make decisions on their behalf should they ever lack the mental capacity to make decisions themselves.

So Francis is right, death doesn't need to be taboo and having an honest conversation about it can lead to activities that can improve a carers quality of life and wellbeing.

Thank you so much for your support of this project, which remains the only of its kind in London, and helps carers through what can understandably be a very difficult time.