Nearly two-thirds of adults 'fail to plan for death' in Britain

Too many people fail to set out details about what should happen in the event of their death, UK campaigners said yesterday.

Nearly two-thirds (60 per cent) of adults, including a quarter of over-65s, have not written a will, while more than three-quarters (81 per cent) have not written down preferences about the end of their lives, according to research by the Dying Matters Coalition. The survey, which marks the start of an awareness week to encourage people to talk about death with friends and family, also found only a quarter of men and a third of women across England told anyone about their desired funeral arrangements.

Many of the 7,000-member organisations of the coalition will hold events to prompt conversations to help the 500,000 people who die in England each year have a "good death".

GP Mayur Lakhani, who is chairman of Dying Matters, said: "It goes against our instincts to talk about death, but we must overcome our reticence.

"People should ask themselves: 'If I were to die, what would I want my loved ones to know? Would they be aware of your wishes? If we don't talk about what we want it will directly impact on our experience at the end of life.

"This is vital as there is a major mismatch between people's preferences for where they would like to die and their actual place of death."

Failing to write down or plan aspects of death can lead to people's wishes not being fulfilled and add to the fear of dying, according to the coalition.

"Without communication and understanding, dying can be a lonely and stressful experience, both for the person who is dying, and for their friends and family," said Eve Richardson, chief executive officer of National Council for Palliative Care and Dying Matters:

"It's clear that people need help starting this important conversation around dying, death and bereavement with loved ones.

"The thing many people fear most about is the loss of control - it's often the process of dying rather than death itself that causes anxiety.

"We can reduce the fear of dying by encouraging more open discussions."

Care services minister Phil Hope said: "Death tends to be a taboo subject, but talking about it can make sure our loved ones know our dying wishes. That means people can get the care they want, where they want it at the end of their lives."