Dying Matters Awareness Week

Each year, people across the UK use Hospice UK’s Dying Matters Awareness Week as an opportunity to encourage all communities to engage in conversations about death and dying, in ways that work for them. While the topic can often be seen as a hard one to approach, the aim here is to make it a more comfortable experience, and one that doesn’t need to be shied away from. This year, it takes place from 6 – 12 May. 

Why language is important 

Language is important when communicating, and each and every one of us will have different thoughts on language, how it’s used and our own preferences. This is why Hospice UK conducted a survey of 1,000+ recently bereaved people – and the results show that what is said and how is an important consideration. The study found that:

• 36% said that they were left with some uncertainty about the likelihood of their loved one dying after speaking with healthcare professionals  
• 62% of people felt that healthcare professionals communicated very well or quite well, during the final period of their loved one’s life  
• 45% of people prefer direct language (e.g. ‘dying’, ‘die’) when talking about death and dying, whilst 33% prefer euphemistic language (e.g. ‘passed away’, ‘not going to make it’, ‘we can’t do any more’).  
• Older people (+55) tended to prefer using more direct language to talk about terminal diagnoses and dying, while younger people (16-24) had a preference for euphemistic language.