As Dying Matters Awareness Week draws to a close, we would like to share with you some links to sites that provide useful information about end of life care, funeral planning and legal advice and bereavement support local to you.

General help

There are several sites providing useful information about local end of life care, funeral planning and legal advice and bereavement support, based on postcode searches:

You can find local solicitors HERE  choose “Wills, Probate and Trust” from under the “Your Legal Issue” menu.

There’s also The Society of Will Writers which represents professional will writers HERE

Funerals

The National Association of Funeral Directors represents larger funeral directors, and has a searchable directory HERE

The Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors represents smaller and independent funeral directors, and you can search for one near you HERE

We recommend using a funeral director that is a member of one or the other of these organisations.

Bereavement support

There are many organisations providing bereavement support.

You can also find local support from Cruse  and the Good Grief Trust

At a Loss provides the UK’s signposting website for the bereaved, with options to filter support to help you quickly get what you need.

If you are under 51 and bereaved, Widowed and Young (WAY) are able to provide bereavement support.

Hospice UK has excellent resources for end of life care and bereavement – much more than simply about hospice care.

Funeral Planning

If you are seeking a funeral celebrant look HERE

For information about a Church of England funeral, start HERE

For general local funeral services, visit Funeral Map

Being with someone at the end of their life

If you would like information on training as a Death Doula, you can contact Living Well, Dying Well

If you are seeking Doula support for yourself or someone close to you then you can contact End of Life Doula UK

Being with someone who is dying is a rare experience for many of us, and we may not understand what is happening. Click HERE for a resource that aims to put our minds at ease

 

It goes against every instinct that we have to start planning for our death: in fact, only one in three of us has talked to anyone about how or where we’d like to die. But every adult, of whatever age, needs to look ahead and ask ‘What if?’  By accessing these resources, you can start to plan for the inevitable, and reduce worry and heartache for your loved ones.

Here are some Dying Matters articles you may find useful:

Planning Ahead

Ideas and advice for opening up conversations about end of life

Coping with sudden, violent or traumatic death

How to find professional support following a bereavement

The signs that death is near

We hope the information we have given this week has been useful, if you have any other queries around any of the topics we have covered, please contact the Family and Bereavement Support team on 01900 705200