Dying Matters: Conversation starters

From 06 to 12 May 2024, we observe Dying Matters week – a campaign run by Hospice UK which encourages people to get talking about death in whatever way, shape or form works for them.

This year’s theme, ‘The way we talk about Dying Matters’, focuses on the language that we use, and conversations we have, around death and dying – specifically between healthcare professionals and patients, their carers and their families.

The way we talk about death and dying is essential to good end-of-life care. Yet all too often barriers, including lack of confidence, taboos around discussing death, and confusion about who should be having these conversations mean patients, carers and families may not understand what is happening, or get all the information and support they need.

To find out how recently bereaved people felt about how language affected their experience with healthcare professionals when their loved ones were dying, Hospice UK asked them a series of questions. Their ‘Talking Matters’ conversation starters use the results to make a meaningful, interactive activity.

Simply print, cut out and fold the card and ask the person (or people) you’re talking with to answer the multiple choice questions. Then turn each card over to see whether their guess was right, how our bereaved people answered, reflections from our expert palliative care doctor, and a suggestion of how you might start those difficult conversations.

Download the Conversation Starters here