Foreword
Every death matters and we only have one chance to get it right.
Nothing will ever matter more than your own death and the deaths of those that you love. Why does it matter? It matters because we know from our research at Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) and elsewhere, that not everyone has a good experience at end of life and a poor outcome at that pivotal moment can have a profoundly negative impact on those who are bereaved. IHF is deeply experienced in the areas of dying, death, and bereavement, continually reflecting on the challenges within the end-of-life landscape and staying attentive to emerging trends in modern Irish life that may influence these experiences.
In this report we have gathered the latest data on the areas that we feel provide an accurate overview of the most relevant aspects of dying, death and bereavement in Ireland today and the factors and barriers standing in the way of a good death. The report identifies the areas where we believe that change is needed and where attention should be focused, allowing everyone the chance to have a good death – regardless of what that may mean for them. When IHF was established 40 years ago it was a very different environment. The population of Ireland was 3.5 million, versus 5.4 million today. The age demographic of that population is also radically different. Population trends show that Ireland’s ageing and diversifying population is going to be one of the key challenges to future end-of-life care and services. Right now, around 35,000 die each year, and the figure was very similar in 1986 when IHF was founded, however, we are going to see a massive increase in that figure over the next 20 years. When we move the clock forward to 2046 the number of annual deaths in Ireland will have increased by 40%. In a system that is already creaking at the seams, extraordinary measures will be required to ensure that every death will continue to matter and to provide the level of supports available to those who are grieving. IHF is a national charity that is committed to understanding, and advocating for, what matters to people at end of life. We do this through the delivery of education, training and supports that directly and positively impact on the experience of people in Ireland who are facing dying, death and bereavement. We seek to identify and advocate for solutions, improvements and resourcing to the current gaps in end-of-life and bereavement care. We will also continue to support the public in being empowered to have control of their end-of-life experience so that they and their loved ones can have the death that reflects what matters most to them. We do this by focusing our attention on our three key areas of work: (i) Conversations about Death (ii) End of Life and Dying and (iii) Bereavement and Grief.
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Irish Hospice Foundation
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