None of us want to think about getting ill and dying. But having a plan makes it easier for you and your loved ones when you are dying. Thinking about things like making a will, deciding what kind of care we’d like, or by making clear our wishes, can make our last days easier for us and the time after our death easier for our families and friends.

It can be very difficult to know what to say or do when someone you know has lost someone close. We often want to offer support. However, it can be hard to know what to say for fear of being intrusive or saying the wrong thing.

Talking about death doesn’t bring death closer. It’s about planning for life, helping us make the most of the time that we have. However, starting the conversation, particularly with those close to you, is never easy. We don’t want to upset people, or sound gloomy. Still, families commonly report that it comes as a relief once the subject is brought out into the open.

Dementia, often presenting as memory loss, confusion and difficulty carrying out daily activities, affects about 800,000 people living in the UK.

Providing end of life care for people with dementia is a key part of delivering good quality care but many people put things off until it’s too late, often missing opportunities that could lead to improved quality of life.

We can’t protect children from death. They encounter it all the time – whether it’s a mouse brought in by the cat or a grandparent dying. At an early age, they can form their own beliefs around it.