Death cafe in the Welsh valleys–an appraisal

Abstract

Background: A death cafe is an event where people drink, eat and discuss death. Death cafes do not follow a set structure and the events are held for free. The mission of death cafes is ‘to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives’. Death cafes have a proven track record in providing a safe place for people to have conversations about dying, death and grief. Aim: This study aims to contribute to the literature by providing a simple synthesis of comments made on the day of a death cafe in Wales by the attendees, and to allow the identification of further research questions. Method: A death cafe event was organised in the South Wales valleys, to encourage discussions about death during Dying Matters Awareness week in the UK, 10 May to 16 May 2019. Result: The event was well attended, and attendees recorded their thoughts about the event. Conclusion: Emerging themes were categorised into the following themes: communication, digital legacy, stigma, humour and a request for future events. Feedback showed that the death cafe had encouraged a greater dialogue about death and dying and facilitated conversations.