Deakin University has joined with the Australian Centre for Health Research to encourage Australian’s to break the silence on talking about death and start a conversation with family and friends while breaking bread at the dinner table.
This week (Thursday 26 May) Deakin will host the regional Australia launch of Death Over Dinner, an initiative started in the United States to spark end of life discussions and cultural change at the dinner table, not in the Intensive Care Unit when it is simply too late.
Deakin’s Executive Dean of Health, Professor Brendan Crotty, said that being involved in this important initiative was a natural fit with the University’s Health Faculty.
“Ensuring people have a say in their end of life care is an important issue that is becoming more and more relevant as the population ages,” Professor Crotty said.
“A recognition that individuals are best placed to decide what end of life care they want is embedded in our medical, nursing and allied health courses and increasingly a part of our research activities. We are delighted to play our part in supporting initiatives, such as Death Over Dinner, that encourage people to talk about health care and end of life planning with their loved ones before it is too late. These discussions are much more difficult if they take place in a hospital ward.
“Members of the Geelong community are welcome to join us in launching this initiative and hear from Michael Hebb, the founder of Death Over Dinner, and local medical practitioners why it is important for everyone to tackle the challenging topic of end of life care and why the dinner table is the best place to have this conversation.”
Death Over Dinner has been brought to Australia by the Australian Centre for Health Research (ACHR) as a call to action for all Australians to start a conversation with their family and friends about death.
“Around 70 per cent of Australians want to die at home, but sadly less than 14 per cent do. While ACHR research has found that 89 per cent of Australians say it’s important to talk about their end of life care wishes, few actually have that conversation,” said Rebecca Bartel, Executive Director of ACHR.
“Instead conversations about end of life care often take place at a hospital in the midst of a crisis. Decisions have to be made quickly and under stress. This means many people die in a way they wouldn’t choose. Loved ones are left feeling guilty, bereaved and anxious.
“We are calling on all Australians to fill their table with food, family, and friends. Toast life, honour loved ones who have died and ensure that everyone’s wishes for end of life care are expressed and respected with understanding and compassion.”
Initially launched in the USA in 2013 by Michael Hebb and Angelique Grant, Death Over Dinner has taken America by surprise and inspired more than half a million people to sit down to a meal and discuss death. It has helped shift policy and funding for advance care conversations and driven uptake of advance care planning.
Most importantly, it has had a major impact on families and put many patients back at the centre of their care at end of life.
“Memories and menus are bound together in our emotional makeup - whether it’s the sausages on the BBQ or the Sunday night roast. We associate food with the people we love and those we have lost,” said Michael Hebb.
“We hope those who RSVP to a Death Over Dinner will celebrate life while talking about death. We know conversation can make all the difference, and good food and wine can make any topic more palatable.”
DEATH OVER DINNER LAUNCH DETAILS:
5.30—7.30pm, Thursday 26 May
REACH Building lecture theatre
Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus
Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds
RSVPhttp://www.achr.org.au/event/death-over-dinner/2016-05-20/
MORE ABOUT DEATH OVER DINNER:
- Death Over Dinner encourages Australians to throw the most important dinner party they’ll ever have, and works to bring people to the dinner table to create social change with the idea that dinners result in action and profound relationships between those who attend.
- People who commit to hosting a dinner are provided with resources including step-by-step guides developed to help people have “the conversation” about their preferences for End of Life Care.
- With the support of government agencies, it has already inspired over 500,000 people in the USA to break bread and explore the many aspects of mortality, ageing, and the choices we face at the end of our lives.
- An interactive website DeathOverDinner.org.au is dedicated to giving people the permission and the tools to discuss their choices and thoughts on end of life and End of Life Care with their friends and loved ones.
- It gives people the tools to make it easier, more meaningful, and the simple model transforms a challenging conversation into an inspiring one.