Why is it so difficult to talk about death?

But according to the organisation, which is behind Dying Matters Awareness Week (ending on Sunday), talking about how we end our days can lead to a better life.

Rev David Knight is chaplain at St Richard’s Hospice in Worcester. The charity is a founder member of Dying Matters – a national coalition of just under 14,000 members who have the common aim of changing public knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards death, dying and bereavement.

In his role, Mr Knight has seen first hand how discussing the inevitable benefits both the wellbeing of individuals and their loved ones.

“Dying Matters has been absolutely brilliant in getting people to talk about dying and death,” he said.

“It’s important people talk about what care they want, or whether or not there are things they want to let their family know about.

“That’s why we’re all encouraging an awareness of this week.

“If we talk about the care we want it’s more likely we’ll get it.

If you think about the fact you’re going to die, it helps you live better.”

Despite this, the results of the survey are clear. Just a third of us have discussed with our partner the type of funeral we want and whether we have a will, while less than a fifth of us have said where we would like to die or the type of care and support we would want at the end of our lives.

Mr Knight said it was important for people to be clear about their final wishes to put their own and their relatives’ minds at rest.

“I think death is still a taboo subject because it’s somewhere people don’t want to go,” he said.

“Many of us like living so we try to avoid the thought of it ending.

In modern times, death has become much more distant.

“Previously, death was a more frequent companion.

“I think the advantages of thinking about the fact we are going to die are massive. It helps us to live in the present and think about what’s most important to us.”

Every year, Mr Knight and his chaplaincy team of 15 volunteers help broach the difficult topic of death with hundreds of St Richard’s Hospice patients, their families and even members of staff.

Together with the rest of the St Richard’s family, they help to ensure those who use their service have their say on how and where they spend their final days and the arrangements after their death.

“One of the most common things I hear when I’m visiting patients is how lonely they can feel when their families don’t want to talk about death,” said Mr Knight, of Four Pools, Evesham.

“The Dying Matters website gives lots of ways of how to approach the subject or you can talk to your GP or a member of hospice staff.

“We don’t need to be afraid of dying. It’s natural, it’s normal, it’s not a medical failure and there are lots of people who can help you carry that final journey.

“It feels very surreal at first to talk about your finality but once you get through that there are enormous benefits.”

For more information visit dyingmatters.org or strichards.org.uk.

In the classroom All secondary school pupils in England should be taught about issues relating to dying and death as part of the national curriculum, the National Council for Palliative Care and the Dying Matters Coalition told MPs and peers at an event in Parliament this week.

The charities are leading the calls for learning about death and dying to be part of the wellbeing curriculum in all schools, so that people of all ages can feel supported in discussing difficult health, care, emotional and practical issues.

Although someone in the UK dies every minute, many schools remain unsure how to best support pupils who have been affected by someone close to them facing death or dying.

The call came as three 17-yearolds from London’s East End, all of whom have secured university places to study medicine, launched a lesson plan to support students and teachers in talking about dying.