End of Life Planning: Future Matters
Future Matters is a free service to help you plan your emergency and future care wishes, financial and legal affairs.
It is funded by North Central London CCG and run in partnership by Gentle Dusk and Age UK Islington.
Future Matters Events
There is lots we can all do to prepare for an emergency - putting in place some basic plans and starting conversations with those that are close to us. From something as simple as letting people know where our spare keys are in the event of a medical emergency to creating an NHS Advance Care Plan or putting in place a Lasting Powers of Attorney. All of these things can save a lot of stress and heartache.
Free online presentations
We have regular online presentations with simple, straightforward advice sessions from our Future Matters team.
Click below for more information and to book (essential) via Eventbrite!
Future Matters: Wills & Funeral Planning
Tuesday 31 October 15:00 - 17:00hrs, Islington North Library Manor Gardens London N7 6JX
Future Matters Death Cafes
Gentle Dusk organises Death Cafés to lift the taboo around death, dying and bereavement. Open conversation about these inevitable experiences – with family, friends and others we meet at the events – can help us to think about the kind of life we want, as well as our end of life wishes.
Death Cafés are friendly, non-judgemental get-togethers designed to increase awareness of end of life care planning, and help people make the most of their (finite) lives. These are informal discussion groups rather than grief support or counselling sessions. Experienced facilitators will be there to guide the conversations/discussions.
No two Cafes are the same! Conversation is always interesting and can range from the practical to the philosophical aspects of end of life.
Book via the Eventbrite links below (places are limited).
Death Cafe at St Luke's Church (Islington N7) Eventbrite: tickets Tuesday 1 August, 17.30-19.30
How do I access the Future Matters service?
Call the Age UK Islington Helpline on: 0207 281 6018 (Monday to Friday, 9 – 5pm) and they will connect you to the Future Matters service.
Email: gethelp@ageukislington.org.uk
Learn more about Gentle Dusk: http://www.gentledusk.org.uk
What is Future Matters?
Future Matters is a free, community-based service for Islington residents planning their future. It offers one-to-one support for:
- setting up a Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), a simple way of ensuring control over your health and financial decisions in future
- making an advance care plan using the NHS Coordinate My Care service, so that your personal, health care and treatment wishes are known.
Future Matters also organises events, such as Death Cafés, to lift the taboo around death, dying and bereavement. Open conversation about these inevitable experiences – with family, friends and others we meet at the events – can help us to think about the kind of life we want, as well as our end of life wishes.
Who is the service for?
Future Matters is available to all Islington or for those people with a GP in Islington; there are no age, health or financial criteria. Planning ahead can help us and our loved ones feel less anxious and more in control at every stage.
Want to learn more?
What is a Lasting Powers of Attorney?
Lasting Powers of Attorney, or LPAs, are legal documents that allow you to choose one or more people to help make decisions in your best interest, should you be unable to do so physically and/or lose mental capacity.
There are two types of Lasting Powers of Attorney: one for your financial affairs and one for your health and welfare. Without an LPA in place, your carer – even if they are a spouse or close family member – may not have permission to make decisions in your best interests.
What is Advance Care Planning?
Advance care planning is the process of documenting your future health care wishes.
Future Matters helps you to do this using Coordinate My Care, an online service from the NHS which records your wishes and treatment needs, and communicates them to urgent care services in the event of an emergency.
Some decisions might feel very big (do you want to be resuscitated if you lose capacity?) and others might feel very small (favourite foods that cheer you up!) - but all of them matter.
Can I refer a friend, family member or the person I care for to Future Matters?
Yes. The Coordinate My Care process can be complicated in places, and LPAs can be expensive to set up. Future Matters encourages referrals from all Islington residents, who can get free information and personalised support.
Why should I think about this now?
Planning ahead can help to avoid stress when it comes to managing the health and financial affairs of those that are closest to us. It means we can let our loved ones know how and where we’d like to be cared for, so they can make informed decisions and avoid the need for rushed decisions at critical times. Everyone’s answers can change over time; the most important thing is making your wishes known.