End of life
From understanding final wishes to knowing what to do when someone dies, we talk about it all here
How can an end of life doula help my family?
While doulas are becoming more well-known in the UK, they’re usually associated with the process of giving birth. Yet today there’s a growing band of end of life doulas, whose role it is to help people with life-limiting conditions and those they love to get the most out of the time they have left together. […]
Read more
How to Enjoy Your Retirement Fund
Collaborative Post Planning for retirement is something that most of us have been taught from a young age as something that’s important. However, retirement doesn’t look the same for everyone and whilst the norm up until now has been to save that money and use the retirement fund to live off. Things have changed a […]
Read more
Organising a funeral
Some people like to plan their own funeral. Others don’t want to think about it and leave the organisation to family once they’ve gone. Either way, it’s surprising how much there is to think about. By Kathy Lawrence The number of decisions you need to take while organising a funeral can be quite daunting. Here’s […]
Read more
When and how do we talk with GPs and hospitals about dying choices?
By Kathy Lawrence Talking about the likelihood of a loved one dying in the near future is always going to be difficult. But if we want to give them the good death that we would like, we and their physicians need to know their preferences. But how can we know if anyone has asked, let […]
Read more
What does a hospice do?
Written by Rebecca Lenton When a parent reaches end of life or has a terminal illness it can be difficult to care for them full-time at home. Hospitals are not an ideal place to end one’s days, but a hospice can provide the care and peace to make for a good end in a hospice […]
Read more
Will the “Friends and Family Test” make a difference to hospital care?
Written by Kathy Lawrence Patients now have the opportunity to rate their hospital experience. Kathy explains how the survey works and wonders if it will give the right answers to improve our parents’ experiences. At the beginning of 2013 the UK Government announced that it would be making more use of a “Friends and Family” […]
Read more
What to do when a parent dies
Losing a parent is an emotional time. Yet there are numerous practical tasks to be undertaken – some quickly, some over time. Here’s a step-by-step guide to what you need to do when a parent dies, written by Louise Pearce from her own experience and her work as a family solicitor at Morrisons. This article […]
Read more
Planning a funeral: Answers for the bereaved
Planning a funeral can appear an intimidating prospect. It’s an event where a never-ending checklist of tasks looms large, all to be undertaken when you are in the midst of grief and the initial stages of mourning your loved one. With this in mind we answer some of the key questions that are often asked […]
Read more
Dignity in dying and care for the living
Campaigner Amanda Waring explains why approaches to dignity in dying need to change in the UK, and offers some tips for caring for the living. Renowned filmmaker, comedian and actress Amanda Waring is a staunch campaigner for dignity in dying, after experiencing what she describes as the horrendous end-of-life care received by her mother, actress […]
Read more
10 questions to ask your parents before it’s too late
Written by Kathy Lawrence There are some questions that are really hard to ask, but knowing the answers can greatly relieve the pressure in times of emergency or end of life. We’ve put together 10 questions to ask before it becomes necessary. How you ask them is up to you – but probably not as […]
Read more