Charity urges sandwich generation to speak to parents about death

According to a new survey for the charity Independent Age, those aged between 40 and 64 said they are more comfortable talking about their weight, the amount they drink or their personal finances than talking about dying and final wishes.

While the younger generation may feel it is taboo, with more than a third not wanting to upset their parents, the majority surveyed in the older generation, 58 per cent of over 65s, said they think its important to open up about death.

Chief executive of Independent Age, Janet Morrison said: “It’s understandable that many people struggle to talk about death and final wishes. It’s an incredibly emotive topic and unsurprisingly, people don’t always know how to broach the subject. The older you get the more aware you are of death. But wouldn’t it be helpful if we could all be more open and share our final wishes earlier, so our later years can be filled with positivity, rather than awkward conversations?

“As a nation, we need to start embracing these conversations and promote a positive change in how we perceive and talk about this subject. We don’t expect this to change overnight, but it’s time to take action, be brave and talk about death.”

Of the over 65s who had spoken to a family member, there was a distinction between the sexes. While men were most likely to speak to their partner, women were more likely to have spoken with their adult children.