2021 Workshops - conversations about end of life.
The workshops (three sessions each) that I ran in 2021 - for City of Melbourne and Eaglemont Artists’ Hub - made a difference to those who came, according to their evaluations. People gave their reason for attending as: ‘I think this topic is important.' The topic they said interested them most was ‘conversations about end of life’.
What did I notice?
The group at City of Melbourne was diverse. Chinese, French, Aussie, Malaysian, indonesian, Dutch, Italian - reflecting the municipality’s mix of residents. So people brought quite different experiences, expectations and values to the mix. This made for rich discussion.
When participants at each workshop located themselves on a range from not at all informed to very well informed, most people were around middling informed, with some very well informed and some who hadn’t broached the topic. People who knew more brought their experience in when it was helpful.
There was a nervous tension in the air at first. At City of Melbourne the client attended and was very transparent at the start about how uneasy he felt, despite feeling very motivated to learn about the topic. This anxiety settled for everyone.
What did I learn?
All participants were best prepared around property, will and executor.
Most people understood the importance of advance care planning but found actually doing it very daunting..Some people didn't know that where you would talk to a lawyer about your property, you would talk to your doctor about an advance care directive.
On the topic of their final destination, the majority of people came very cremation focused. They knew almost nothing about burial in Melbourne - such as costs, look and feel of cemeteries, or the advantages of purchasing directly from a cemetery trust. Similarly they knew little about funeral costs or that funerals generally come as ‘packages.'
What did they say?
People were generally well satisfied with the workshops, evaluating them at 4.1 out of 5 at City of Melbourne (Eaglemont was not formally evaluated). Workshop participants from both settings made the following comments:
Just a little note to say how grateful I am that I took the plunge and attended your End of Life workshops. It’s such a taboo subject, however, your introduction to it made me very comfortable and ready to learn. You led us on a journey of discovery.
The whole picture is now open to me. I have put my Advance Plan Directive into place as well as appointing my Medical Treatment Decision Maker. I have decided on a funeral company that aligns with my values and have all in place for my children to access.
Your easy way of delivering these workshops and your amazing knowledge of all that surrounds this subject is incredible.
Thanks to this conversation, my in-laws have bought their cremation plots at a lovely cemetery - in a rose garden. They’re also in the process of transferring the space left in an ancestral plot to a family member who’d like to be buried there, who now won’t have to worry about going looking for a burial site.
This review leaves me feeling that the workshops were a worthwhile aspect of my work in 2021. I’m reminded that Covid restrictions did not deter anyone. We moved seamlessly online for some sessions.
If you’re interested in booking a workshop I’d love to talk.
