If you live in Northern NSW, in and between Maclean and Tweed Heads, you are invited to become part of a movement to build a more active and compassionate community – ensuring people who are lonely or isolated can connect easily with local people or services, and supporting those at the end of their life.
You can find out more at the group’s new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NorthernNSWCompassionateCommunities/
A compassionate community looks after its own towards the end of life and those living with bereavement afterwards. More and more people rely on medical services at end of life. Most people would prefer to die at home but at the moment most die in hospital.
How do we change that? Well, we need to better support people dying at home. It’s a mixture of family, friends, and professional support systems you have around you. At the moment many people don’t know how to relate to someone who is dying, so it’s also about helping people to have these sometimes awkward conversations around death and dying and grief and loss.
In July this year there was a community forum held with our communities to talk about death and dying in our region – and to look at what works well, what is not working so well and achievable things we can change to make a difference. Following on from this, a community action group of inclusive, passionate members have been meeting to work towards these aims of the community. We welcome anyone who would like to join this action group – and be part of building our compassionate community.
Anna Law, who is part of the group and also the End of Life Care Project lead for Northern NSW Local Health District, said it’s about breaking down barriers.
“We need to help people become comfortable talking about death and dying and grief and loss and ensuring people who are dying can reach out and receive the help they need within their community.”
Over the course of the meetings the group has been gathering ideas for creating a compassionate community where people are better supported when they are lonely and at the end of life. These include:
- Creating a directory/guide to local clubs and networks.
- Holding a Death Expo.
- Connecting people through a list of locals willing to attend the cinema or go for a walk.
- A memorial chair in a park – a safe place for people to sit and remember, a place to have a chat and connect.
- A coffin club set up through local Men’s Sheds where people can make their own coffins.
- Dog walk/play group connecting people.
- Using art to create a legacy about the dying person – a special song, or an artwork.
Anna also wants to draw attention to an online tool called Gather Your Crew. It’s a free online roster to help mobilise people locally when someone needs help.
