I went to a death cafe to learn how to talk to dying patients

I went to a death cafe to learn how to talk to dying patients Medical students do not learn how to talk about death. Junior doctors are forced to learn on the job – and that isn’t fair on patients or families

It is taboo in British culture to talk about death. We say someone has “passed away”, “kicked the bucket” or “left us” – anything to avoid even using the word. This has consequences. While 70% of people wish to die at home, half of us will actually die in hospital. Our reluctance to talk about death and make our wishes known is part of the reason for this.

So I didn’t expect to enjoy visiting a death cafe. As soon as I arrived, I knew I had made the right decision, however. The room hummed with a low level of chatter, and I felt prepared to practise talking about death and dying. Continue reading... The Guardian