Everybody Deserves A Dignified Death

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 19 May 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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Help the Aged has responded to news of a new £1 million programme funded by the Department of Health, aimed at transforming physical environment in which the NHS cares for thousands of dying patients and led by the King's Fund.

Director of Policy, Paul Cann, said:

"Death is an unavoidable issue - but what is avoidable is the undignified and impersonal way in which many older people die in this country.

"Across society, there is a long way yet to travel before people have a clear understanding of what care they are entitled to at the end of their lives.

"This latest phase of the King's Fund's Enhancing the Healing Environment programme is a welcome practical contribution towards ensuring older people will be able to die in comfort and dignity with the very best care available, wherever they die.

"Bringing the reality of death in front of us and making mortuaries part and parcel of hospital life is part of challenging the taboo around dying.

"As the Government plans its new end-of-life strategy, Help the Aged hopes that even greater attention will be devoted to ensuring that the final period of life is not marred by poor support and a lack of dignity."

Notes

Help the Aged is the charity fighting to free disadvantaged older people in the UK and overseas from poverty, isolation, neglect and ageism. It campaigns to raise public awareness of the issues affecting older people and to bring about policy change. The Charity delivers a range of services: information and advice, home support and community living, including international development work. These are supported by its paid-for services and fundraising activities - which aim to increase funding in the future to respond to the growing unmet needs of disadvantaged older people. Help the Aged also funds vital research into the health issues and experiences of older people to improve the quality of later life.

Help the Aged urgently needs donations and support to help it in the increasingly challenging fight to free disadvantaged older people from poverty, isolation and neglect.

Help the Aged