Supporting community engagement around end of life conversations & care, an asset- based approach

Abstract

Healthcare systems and local hospices have extensive expertise and community connections around end of life awareness and care, however innovative and cost effective solutions are required to engage the wider (healthy, non-cancer, non-hospice) community if we are to align public preferences with outcomes of care at the local/community level in the future.

• ▶ Most adults have personal experience around death, dying, and bereavement.

• ▶ Leaders of community organisations are no exception.

• ▶ However, the varied backgrounds (personal and professional) must be given a common base upon which to lay the foundation for community-led engagement around this complex and taboo subject.

An innovative programme is proving to be effective inspiring and engaging communities in the Northwest (UK) to launch awareness initiatives, overcoming the taboo of talking about death and dying, improving awareness of the need for advance care conversations, and increasing access to available community-based information and resources. Using a facilitated asset-based approach, partnership projects have been launched with funders, healthcare, hospices, and community agencies across seven communities (rural/city). Outcomes and evaluations to date from more than 150 participating organisations will be shared.