Milford Care Centres Compassionate Communities Project Embraces Limerick Learning Festival

Milford Care Centres Compassionate Communities Project Embraces Limerick Learning Festival

Milford Care Centres Compassionate Communities Project is hosting two workshops as part of the Limerick Learning Festival 2017 running between Saturday, April 1 and Friday, April 7.  

The focus of these two workshops is on Limerick becoming a compassionate city and with it the continued need to remember that death touches the lives of each and every one of us, whether we like it or not. 

Rebecca Llyod, Milford Care Centres Compassionate Communities Project worker said, “It is a normal and inevitable part of life.  Planning ahead for the end of life is important.  We need to think ahead about our wishes and our needs so that in the event that we are no longer able to speak for ourselves, our families and healthcare team know how we want to be cared for and what matters to us.  

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“We believe these workshops will empower the people of Limerick and we are here to ensure that their worries are heard and they can also share their wisdom and experiences with each other. 

“They will help them build a Limerick as a City where death, dying, illness, frailty and grief are no longer whispered about, where people know what to say and what to do so that citizens can die and grieve well.” 

The first talk ‘Compassionate, Creative Limerick’ is on Monday, April 3 at 10am at The Hunt Museum. Limerick City and County Council has made the commitment for Limerick to become recognised as a Compassionate City under the International Compassionate Cities Charter. Citizens living and working in a Compassionate City publicly encourage, facilitate, support and care for one another during life’s most testing moments and experiences. Coming together to support, talk and listen to each other is important, especially during times of illness, when we are caring for someone, when someone has died or when we are grieving. This workshop explores these themes through the medium of art.  We’ll invite you to take off your shoes, share your stories and leave your footprint in clay.  Through telling these stories we can explore your journey, with a focus on how, under the umbrella of the Compassionate Cities Charter, we can work together to support each other along future journeys though illness, death and bereavement.   This workshop will be facilitated by Marie Richardson, Milford Care Centre’s Compassionate Communities Project and Gerry Fenniman, a Limerick artist and sculptor.

The second talk is ‘Thinking, Talking and Planning Ahead for End of Life: A Café Conversation’ is on Tuesday, April 4 at 2 pm at The Hunt Museum. 

Death is something that touches the lives of each and every one of us.  It is a normal and inevitable part of life.  Planning ahead for end of life is important.  We need to Think Ahead about our wishes and our needs, so that in the event that we are no longer able to speak for ourselves, our families and healthcare team know how we want to be cared for and what matters to us.

Rebecca Lloyd and Kathleen McLoughlin from Milford Care Centres Compassionate Communities project encourage you to attend this interactive, experiential and engaging café conversation. We’ll give you a cup of tea and a slice of cake, whilst we talk about why it’s important to Think Ahead about end of life.  We’ll talk together about the important things we need to consider – like how to have a conversation with someone you love about the end of life, advance directives and palliative care.  All participants will receive a free copy of Think Ahead – a tool that allows you to record your end of life care wishes and decisions. We’ll share stories and memories and our wishes for end of life.

Milford Care Centre is a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation and registered charity. It was first established by the Little Company of Mary Sisters in 1928 and now provides Specialist Palliative Care and Older Persons Services in the Mid-West. Its Board of Directors and Management Team oversees its service delivery and fundraising activities. They aim to support and care for all individuals and their families with compassion and respect.  

To find out more about Milford Care Centres Compassionate Communities Project, click here.

To read more stories about Milford Care Centre, click here.