New guide to deathbed etiquette

A new guide to deathbed etiquette aims to help people to support loved ones as they die.

Deathbed Etiquette” highlights the importance of good accompaniment of dying people.

The guide, is produced by The Art of Dying Well, a project supported by the university.

The university says its new guide draws on the experiences of hospital chaplains, palliative care consultants, nurses, friends and relatives and includes a raft of practical tips.

Jo Elverson, a consultant in palliative medicine at St Oswald’s Hospice, Newcastle says she found those closest to the dying person are best placed to help them to die peacefully.

She encourages families at the bedside to follow their instincts.

“Sometimes, they need confidence, permission if you like, to do what they believe is the right thing.”

Another palliative care consultant said she hoped the guide communicated “that dying is not a clinical event. It is a normal event in someone’s life”.

The launch of the guide coincides with a Onepoll survey commissioned by the Art of Dying Well and St Mary’s University which asked 2,000 people across the UK whether they were prepared to be at the bedside of a loved one as they were dying.

The Poll highlighted that women outnumbered men in their responses to the two most extreme positions.

Almost twice as many women as men said they were totally prepared to die and women than men also considered themselves to be totally unprepared!

The Poll also confirmed older respondants felt better prepared to sit by the bedside of a dying person.

Almost a quarter of people aged over 55 (23 per cent) said they were totally prepared, while only 12 per cent for those aged 18 to 34 felt this way.

This finding is in line with the experience of our experts who have found that the ability to cope with death and dying increases with age.

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