Singapore Hospice Council’s public library exhibitions aim to educate and encourage die-logues on planning ahead.
Many of us want to leave well, but lack awareness or understanding of the services, resources and support available. As part of Singapore Hospice Council’s (SHC) efforts to educate the public on palliative care and end-of-life care planning, its “Die-logues: Building the Best Endgame” Exhibition will be travelling to various public libraries throughout 2022. With the needed space kindly sponsored by Public Libraries Singapore, the first exhibition at Bishan Public Library from 1 April to 31 May 2022 saw visitors of all ages taking a decisive step towards starting end-of-life conversations. As visitor Idelia shared, such discussions are “so important but very much neglected and avoided”. Visitors learnt more about the accessibility, affordability and availability of palliative care, and the importance of talking about end-of-life matters. They were also able to learn about the resources available on SHC’s e-library and take away relevant books and brochures to share with their loved ones.
A popular feature at the exhibition was the message wall, where visitors have left reflections on what a good death means to them. Many wished to leave without regrets and be surrounded by loved ones at their final moments, while some wished for a painless death with no suffering. Some respondents to our survey indicated that after the exhibition, they would “read up resources on palliative care”, “speak to aged parents about end-of-life planning”, “discuss with friends”, “use SHC’s books to broach the topic with their kids”, and “plan for their future”.
