Articles

Many people choose to spend the end of their lives at home, rather than in another setting such as a hospital, hospice or a residential care home. There can be many reasons for this decision, but often it is because of the familiarity and good memories that come with a familiar environment. However, living at home in those final days almost always requires the support of others, often with the responsibility for care being passed to loved ones, friends or ...Read More

Talking about the end of our lives isn’t something that people find easy to do and because of this our wishes can often go unheard and unfulfilled. Currently in the UK it is estimated that less than 40% of people have told anyone what they would like to happen to them when they die. Planning for the future isn’t something that we should shy away from. From deciding on where we will live if our health deteriorates and how we ...Read More

One of the biggest fears that we have when we lose someone close to us is that, as time goes on, we will forget who they were. Important aspects of their personality that made them who they are, important events that happened in their lives, and just the simple things that gave them enjoyment can all slip from our memory as we age. Not only do we often want to keep these memories for ourselves, but also for the next ...Read More

If you have discovered that you have an incurable illness that has limited your life expectancy to a short space of time then you will likely be very distressed. There is no right or wrong way to feel when you find out and you may experience a variety of different emotions along the journey. When you first find out you may feel angry, scared and helpless or may have a period of denial where you find it hard to accept ...Read More

Losing a child at any age is almost always one of the hardest and most difficult challenges that we could ever face in our lives. However, the last thing that many parents expect to ever experience is to have to plan a funeral for their baby. Sadly, thousands of cases of still births, sudden infant death syndrome and other infant deaths occur in the UK every year – with the UK having the highest rates in Europe.  This sensitive guide ...Read More

Returning to your home after losing a partner is one of the hardest things that people who have been bereaved have to face.  If your parent has recently lost their partner, don’t be surprised if they need your support.  Returning to a home that was once full of memories and now seems eerily quiet, mixed with anxiety over living independently can be hard to deal with.  Here are some ways that you can help them to readjust and begin to ...Read More

Pause for a moment and consider the events in your life that have shaped who you are today. What are your proudest achievements? What are your biggest regrets? If you had the chance to pass these lessons on to future generations, what exactly would you say? What is a legacy letter? Also known as an ethical will, a farewell letter, a testament or an ‘ending note’, a legacy letter gives you the chance to pass on your most important life ...Read More

It’s not a topic that is easy to talk about, but planning for what happens after you die is not something that you should avoid. Taking the time to talk to your loved ones about your wishes and wants can reduce the need for them to make difficult decisions on your behalf further down the line and could take away a lot of stress for them in what can be a tough time. It also ensures that your funeral takes ...Read More

Losing someone that is close to us is among the hardest challenges that we can face in our lives and the connected pain that comes with losing a friend, family member or loved one can be very intense. How then can we overcome our grief, honour their memory and continue with our lives? Here we will look at the different stages of grief and consider some of the ways that you can begin to cope with your bereavement. The four ...Read More

In our article “How funerals are changing” we explained how funerals have changed dramatically in recent years.  Funerals have become more about celebrating a person’s life than mourning their passing.  Religion plays less of a role than it previously did.  Cremations are now far more popular than burials.  There has been a noticeable increase in environmentally friendly funerals.  And perhaps one of the biggest changes of all is the growth in personalisation of funerals.  This means adding personal touches to ...Read More