New project aims to improve end-of-life care experiences

AN IRISH end-of-life care project—Meitheal Muintire—designed to improve the end-of-life experiences of Irish people living in Britain, was launched at the London Irish Centre on April 24.

The project was mandated by a unanimous vote of member organisations at Irish in Britain’s AGM last November.

The project, co-sponsored by Irish In Britain and Innisfree Housing Association, is seeking input from across the Irish community.

A free performance of extracts from The Keening: How Ireland’s Ancient Wake Traditions Teach Us All To Live, Love And Die will mark the start of the year-long project.

BAFTA-winning Achill Island writer Kevin Toolis (above) and acclaimed Connemara Sean Nós singer Caitríona Ni Chennabháin will share the wisdom and mystery of the Irish Wake’s ancient origins and celebrate in song, word and bardic poetry how the Irish Wake can still teach us all to live, love and die in grace.

The project’s title ‘Meitheal Muintire’ comes from the ancient tradition of community teamwork in rural Ireland. ‘Meitheal’—pronounced ‘meh-hal’—describes this concept of cooperation, a coming together in the service of a shared task. ‘Muintire’ means ‘people’ or ‘family’ in Irish, so ‘meitheal muintire’ emphasises the community aspect of the tradition.

All will be able to contribute to the project in a range of ways. The aim is to develop a community informed response to improve practice in enabling dignified and responsive end-of-life care for individuals and their families.

“This project is driven by the needs of all those involved in the end-of-life care experience here in Britain, and to effect positive change in practice, policy and cultural competence,” Brian Dalton, Irish in Britain CEO said. “As a community we can draw upon our history in how we care for our loved ones. Our community’s long-held rites and rituals that provide comfort at a time of loss will especially inform this work and, crucially, will guide recommendations for future practice in end-of-life care planning.”

John Delahunty, Chief Executive, Innisfree Housing Association added: “At Innisfree we’ve been prompted by both personal and recent professional experiences of being with people at the end of their lives. We felt that we hadn’t done enough, but didn’t know how else to advocate for better. This project will provide us with some of the ‘how else’ as we stand alongside those we love and care for.”

For more information on the project visit: www.irishinbritain.org/what-we-do/health-and-wellbeing/meitheal-muintire-irish-end-of-life-care-project