Abstract

This abstract will introduce an innovative way of involving the community in discussion on end of life planning. The LMNC is a rural area consisting of beachside areas, with a mixture of young families and retired people, as well as farming properties and town centres. The local population consists of a diverse mixture of individuals from a variety of backgrounds. The LMNC palliative care team hold an annual World Café with the aim being to have conversation around death and dying issues.

What is a world cafe?

It is the process of harnessing the power of conversation for social value. The conversations link and build on each other. World Café guidelines include listening and understanding concepts which will help gain insight and develop deeper connections to complex issues that guide today's society. The World Café combine conversations from the mind and heart, involves having fun and allowing time to reflect on important issues.

The question posed in 2011 was;

What are the barriers to end of life planning?

The aim is to develop strategies to encourage the wider community to plan for end of life as well as promote community awareness towards the normalcy of death. Lots of wonderful ideas were suggested, with some being put into practice to promote end of life planning throughout the LMNC. This presentation will explore the many ways that end of life planning can be promoted in communities. The results highlighting the importance of good communication, respecting the uniqueness of each individual and strategies to empower each individual to make appropriate decisions.