14 May 2018

Dying Matters week is an annual event to raise the profile of talking about dying, death and bereavement. Giving a terminally ill person the chance to plan their end of life, allows them to indicate their wishes around their care when their condition deteriorates, in the event that they no longer have the capacity to make decisions, and/or the ability to communicate their wishes to others in the future. These wishes are recorded in an advance care plan.

Professionals responsible for discussing advance care planning with patients include GPs, senior nurses and social care staff. They often report that they don't know how to open such discussions and then structure the conversation, whilst supporting the patient with their concerns. The SAGE & THYME for Advance Care Planning (ACP) workshop teaches staff who have knowledge on the processes and procedures (e.g. Gold Standards Framework) around ACP, how to speak with patients.

Workshop participants have said:

“I would definitely recommend this workshop - it has really opened my eyes to how by following a structure, it can make really difficult conversations feel more manageable.”.

“A great, concise, effective training that engenders confidence and courage.”

“You think you know how to do this, I’ve done this for over 20 years & have learnt very useful new skills.”

If you are interested in having a SAGE & THYME for Advance Care Planning workshop run in your area, please contact us.