RESIDENTS are being encouraged to learn how to talk about death.

In May next year Nightingale House Hospice, Wrexham is supporting the national Dying Matters Week.

The 2020 theme of Dying To Be Heard will focus on how to help by listening.

Dying Matters is a coalition of organisations who think it is important for people to talk about what is important to them in relation to their death.

In preparation for this special week, Nightingale House is hosting an information evening to help local organisations, institutions, groups or businesses put on their own event with confidence and have ‘the’ conversation.

A spokesman for the hospice: "How do you get people to talk about a topic that no-one wants to talk about?

"There are many ways and the more novel the idea, the less taboo, it is.

"If your organisation, institution or group would be interested in finding out more or feel you might like to be involved next May, come along to Nightingale House Hospice on Thursday, January 30, 2020, at 4.30pm to 6pm."

Kay Ryan, outpatient services coordinator, added: “It sounds like a morbid subject to encourage people to talk about.

"We all hope for a long and healthy life, but we are not immortal and unfortunately ill health or accidents do happen.

“We can probably all think of circumstances around someone’s death where we thought, ‘I wouldn’t want that to happen to me or, anyone I care about’ or ‘I wouldn’t know what to do if that happened to one of my family or friends’.

“Talking about these things doesn’t make them happen any sooner but it can help people think about what is or would be important to them.”

Anyone who would like to attend can ring Nightingale House Hospice reception on 01978 316800 and leave their name and contact details.