Latest Death Cafe News
Resource: Forgetting May: On dementia, love and loss
Posted by helenbroadbridge@gmail.com on July 3, 2020, 12:32 p.m. 1 comment
If you or someone you know are supporting someone who is living with dementia and find yourselves wondering what lies up ahead on the road, Forgetting May was written for you. Search @forgettingmay on Instagram for free excerpts and more information.
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May is a tough, resourceful woman who was born ...
Death Cafe write up: Online Death Cafe Dunedin
Posted by welshsh on July 2, 2020, 2:43 a.m. 1 comment
This was our first ever virtual Death Cafe. One wasn’t planned. It was an extra one due to an increased need caused by the pandemic thrusting death and dying into our faces more than life usually does. Five of us attended and there would have been more if it were not because of my technological incompetence. The conversation waxed and waned from literary reviews and philosophical questions to people’s personal experiences. What was clear, was that by having a virtual Death Cafe people were able to attend who wouldn’t be unable to attend than an actual Death Cafe. I resolved at the end of it ...
Death Cafe write up: Virtual Death Cafe Louisville EST
Posted by Justin Magnuson on June 26, 2020, 1:47 p.m.
With each new Death Cafe, I have recently expected to finally arrive at a saturation point. That nothing new will be discussed or I will be frankly bored. Last night was a small group of regulars, bringing this sense to the surface yet again.
Instead of feeling stale or boring, I felt like the group settle into a deeper and more vulnerable space that explored familiar terrain with a more penetrating gaze. This gives me hope that not only do Death Cafes serve a purpose, but the online format is not a hinderance. I hope more people continue to join our conversations and we change the narrative around ...
Death Cafe write up: U3A Joburg East Death Cafe
Posted by U3AJoburgEast on June 24, 2020, 6:24 a.m.
In 2019 we met once a month over tea and cake. Before lockdown we had twelve members with an average attendance of ten a month. Our last face to face meeting was in February 2020. We did not meet in March or April due to the COVID-19 lockdown. In May we agreed to continue our Death Café sessions using zoom and to meet virtually twice a month. Participants bring their own tea/coffee to the sessions. Regrettably only six of our members have the facilities to participate in virtual sessions.
Topics discussed over the period July 2019 to June 2020 include;
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How do I want to spend the ...
Death Cafe write up: June meeting of Colliers Wood Death Cafe - ONLINE via Zoom
Posted by Cecilia H on June 21, 2020, 1:08 p.m.
It was great to be joined by 7 others for the fourth virtual meeting of the Colliers Wood Death Café via Zoom. Once again there was a strong trans-Atlantic presence with participants joining from CA, CO, FL, and NJ!
Themes to emerge from our conversation:
The importance and value of discussing death and dying, and the role such conversations can have in the reduction of the all too common fear that unhelpfully presents itself around these human topics.
The powerful role of the global pandemic in prompting us to face our mortality. How much more possible, and even permissible it perhaps feels to talk about these unspoken and ...
Death Cafe write up: Death Cafe Hillsborough EST (via Zoom)
Posted by Neidra on June 18, 2020, 9:52 p.m.
Hello everyone,
I hope you are staying well, physically and mentally. Thank you to those who joined the conversations during the June 10th Death Café – Hillsborough (DC-H) – our third Zoom call! We packed it with information and learned new things! Using Zoom has changed our dynamic yet it also allowed some new people from far away places to join us!
There has been a marked increase in “Virtual Death Cafés” worldwide! This is not only due to the fact we can’t meet in person but also because more people are seriously contemplating their mortality and thus are more willing to discuss death and dying. Information ...
Death Cafe write up: East Rockville Online Death Cafe EST
Posted by AmesSandra on June 18, 2020, 6:36 p.m.
The East Rockville Death Café has been meeting since October 2019. When we were meeting in a local café we always had a mix of neighbors and other people who were interested and dropped by. Meetings moved to Zoom in May and we continue to have an interesting group of people, one of whom was attending virtually from Canada.
In the June meeting the subject of palliative care vs “lingering” came up. Roughly the former is an acceptance of chronic disease from the outset with a view towards quality of life, the latter an attempt to try any means of prolonging life. Participants discussed the time before the ...
Death Cafe write up: VIRTUAL Death Cafe (Canada)
Posted by RomaP on June 18, 2020, 6:58 a.m.
Dear Freinds,
Hope you and your loved one's are healthy and safe.
Heart House Hospice had an amazing turn out and I want to thank the organizers of Death Cafe for offering this online platform to the world.
We had 23 attendees, most of us from Canada, one each from England, United States and India (Wow !! the lady who attened woke up at 4 am to attend our meet !!!). This speaks volumes of how effective this website is turning out to be.
We had break out rooms of maximum 4 people and then a whole group sharing at the end. The conversations were very interactive and thought ...
The titleand poem say it all.
Death Cafe write up: Death Cafe Albany hosted by Kate
Posted by DeathCafeAlbany on June 6, 2020, 8:01 p.m.
We decided for everyone's health and safety to cancel this Death Cafe at Niskayuna Linrary. we will re-scheudle there when folks are meeeitng in person agian. We have our 2nd Virtual Death Cafe via Zoom on June 15th 7-8:30pm- come join us !
Practitioners question: Photos and artwork
Posted by Death Cafe Edinburgh on June 5, 2020, 6:52 a.m.
Are there any photos that we can download and use without copyright or by referencing the artist / photographer?
Thank you
Death Cafe write up: Virtual Death Cafe Louisville
Posted by Justin Magnuson on June 4, 2020, 12:15 p.m.
Hosting virtual Death Cafes has been an interesting experience. I can say that 5 years of hosting them in-person has provided a good foundation for the transition, but there are little quirks in reading the other attendees body language, turn taking, and allowing thoughtful pauses that makes it difficult.
I have already read several articles about the phenomena. At least one published by the End of Life Studies Group seemed mildly antagonistic to the concept. My personal preference is and hopefully will always be face-to-face encounters, but I can see an argument, regarding both safety and access, to continue to offer virtual opportunities to keep Death Cafes open ...
Death Cafe write up: Tunbridge Wells Online Death Cafe BST
Posted by carmeldunmall on May 30, 2020, 9:11 a.m.
8 of us attended today. The conversation flowed easily for the hour. We talked about our wishes following our death, natural burials, advance directives, composting bodies and generally discussing what makes a good death.
Death Cafe write up: North Tyneside online Death Cafe
Posted by North Tyneside Virtual Death Cafe on May 28, 2020, 9:49 a.m.
Karen and Helen hosted their first Death Cafe together at this event. It was, we agreed, a success and we are keen to host more in the future. The hosting part was the easy bit; once everyone got comfy and had heard the introduction (about the aims of the Death Cafe movement) the conversation flowed and didn't stop!
Looking forward to meeting new (and old) cafe companions. We will host these 4 times each year; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Death Cafe write up: Virtual Death Cafe EST
Posted by NNPCN on May 28, 2020, 7:20 a.m.
NNPCN hosted its first ONLINE Death Cafe with great success. The online format allowed us to connect with people from all over Ontario. Hospice professionals and volunteers made up the bulk of the group, so it was a unique mix of participants -- as with all Death Cafes! Thank you to all who contributed to the rich discussion.