Sessions
The basic course is covered in four evening sessions and a full day’s training on communications skills.
Session 1: Learning to face death
The first evening includes introductions and exploring experiences of deaths using video clips and discussion. By the end of the session participants will have more confidence in talking about a difficult subject
Session 2: Living while dying.
The focus of this session is how the make the most of the time that is available. We use discussion and film to aid this process, and to help create a bucket list.
Session 3: Talking practicalities
Session 3 covers the planning we need to do to ensure our wishes are known to others and how we can use Lasting Powers of Attorney to ensure our wishes are clear when we can no longer speak for ourselves. Participants have the opportunity to create their own action plan.
Session 4: Communication Day: How to talk to people who are sick or bereaved.
This is a short day course 10.00-16.00hrs with a break for lunch. Participants bring their own communication challenges and as a group we use these examples to practice what phrases are helpful, using the information taught in the morning talks.
This day is the best evaluated part of the course. The emphasis is on encouragement and learning.
Session 5: Supporting people who are dying and bereaved
In this final meeting, we build on the communication day training and look at the topic of grief, and how it progresses.
We consider how palliative care might help, and we think where you as an informed, non-professional friend might be able to contribute to end of life care of a friend or family member and later support the bereaved in practical but non-intrusive ways.
We revisit the Omega Action Plan, and invite participants to be part of the informal Omega Community. We review the aims of the course and you will be able to give honest opinion about what have been highlights and what could have been better.
