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A week-long, national event encouraging open conversations about death and dying will be held in Mangawhai next month.
Dying Matters Week, from September 1 to 7, aims to remind people that death is a normal and natural part of life. Through a range of community events, the initiative offers safe places to talk about end of life matters, support for navigating grief and loss, and guidance on legal and practical preparations such as getting affairs in order. Sessions also feature insights from local experts.
Organised by professional end-of-life doula and death coach Sherie Sullivan, the free events will be held at various venues and will include workshops on wills, Hospice services and organic funerals, as well as Death Cafes and a guided wander through a natural burial cemetery.
Together with Kaipara resident Karen Williamson, owner of natural burial business Ake Ake Shrouds, Sullivan will start the event with a thought-provoking session titled ‘Starting the Conversation’.
“In this discussion, we’ll gently explore why talking about death, dying, and end of life planning matters and how Advance Care Planning can support you and your loved ones,” she says.
“It’s a chance to reflect, connect and begin the important conversations we often put off.”
Sullivan, who owns Sovereign Departures, will host an informative session on the role of a death doula, a practice she says complements medical and hospice care by strengthening the circle of support.
“I work with people who are dying and their families to lessen their anxiety and help them prepare emotionally, practically and spiritually for the end of life journey,” she says. “Doulas also bridge gaps in the healthcare systems, especially when a dying person is separated from family. We can support them.”
The role of a doula dates back to ancient Greece and Sullivan believes it is a lost art that is experiencing a revival of sorts. She says with the country’s strained health system putting more demand on community-based hospice care, the doula profession is gaining renewed relevance.
Grassroots palliative care movements such as Compassionate Communities, which fosters supportive community-led environments for people who are dying and their carers, are helping to restore death literacy. This has led to a rise in the end of life doula services and groundswell of initiatives such as Death Cafes, Death Without Debt and DIY Funerals.
“Many of us in these professions are deeply passionate about ensuring people get the support they need,” Sullivan says. “The ‘death movement’ is all about empowering individuals and communities to care for their own and to reclaim the dying process.”
Info: https://gowithgrace.nz/dyingmatters/northland-events/mangawhai/
