The second ‘Dying to Know’ expo held at Club Narooma on Thursday was a big success with lots of people finding out all about improving quality of life in one’s twilight years.
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Event organiser Shanna Provost said the day was a success with many coming through particularly in the morning to check out the 21 or so stalls, with speakers scheduled all through the day.
The expo covered a broad range of information that will help people to live life well right to the very end, such as how to set up an enduring guardianship, the importance of advance care directives, how to have meals delivered and legal rights of older people.
Narooma resident Heather McMillan was there to found out more and left the expo with more knowledge about the “advanced care directive” process, whereby anyone can request not to receive medical treatment in cases where they are declared brain dead or horribly mutilated in an accident.
She plans on having her directive put at the head of her bed and also as a PDF on her phone so that if paramedics know not to treat her if she was going to become a burden on others.
“You’ve got to think about these things well in advance,” Mrs McMillan said.
One of the stallholders was Sue Seath from Narooma Community and Palliative Care Nursing Service, part of the Eurobodalla Health Service Southern NSW Local Health District.
One the table was a tray of 30 electric candles, which signified the number of people in the area that had died at home with the assistance of the palliative care service in the past 18 months.
“Figures released in 2014 showed that 70 per cent of people actually wanted to die at home, but only 14 per cent do,” Mrs Seath said.
“In the area we cover from Dalmeny to Bermagui, our figures are actually a lot higher because in rural areas without hospitals in the towns, there are actually more services set up to allow people to die at home.”
Yet others such as Heather May of Narooma was there to find out more about volunteering and she was chatting away with Carol Meindl from Eurobodalla Meals on Wheels.
“I’m finding out how I can volunteer and benefit the community,” Ms May said.