We Need To Talk About Death

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Death Itself

20161214

20161217 (R4)

Joan Bakewell and her panel consider the final days and hours that surround death itself. It's a time that we tend to shy away from, which perhaps explains why so much fear and uncertainty surrounds this time.

Joan explores the reality of dying and asks what we should expect in the final days and hours. She demystifies the dying process itself and considers the physical changes that someone may go through as they die. She also discusses the choices open to us and the care and support that should be in place at the end of life.

And you'd be surprised what you can do for your loved one after death has occurred. Relatives can take on any of the tasks traditionally carried out by funeral directors. It's even possible to keep a loved one's body at home for a while so friends and family can visit and, if they die in hospital, transport their body back home yourself.

Producer: Beth Eastwood

Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk.

Joan Bakewell explores what happens in the days and hours that surround death itself.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Producer: Beth Eastwood

Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk.

Joan Bakewell explores what happens in the days and hours that surround death itself.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Ease My Pain

20161207

20161210 (R4)

Joan Bakewell and her panel explore one of our greatest fears at the end of life - pain.

Pain comes in all shapes and sizes and the meaning we ascribe to it - our suffering - drastically shapes our experience of pain, and how we manage it.

Good symptom control at the end of life requires not only prescription of the right combination of medications, but also knowing when and how to take them. Many doctors are reluctant to prescribe opioids such as morphine until late in the course of disease, and often the doses are too weak. Furthermore, the health system often struggles to keep up with a patients changing symptoms as their disease progresses.

Joan explores what patients can do to better the situation. She dispels the myths about morphine & highlights the obstacles that most commonly hinder our chance of a so called 'good' death. She also discovers how religious belief can influence our experience of pain at the end of life.

Producer: Beth Eastwood

Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk.

Joan Bakewell explores one of our greatest fears about death and dying: being in pain.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Joan Bakewell and her panel explore one of our greatest fears at the end of life - pain.

Pain comes in all shapes and sizes and the meaning we ascribe to it - our suffering - drastically shapes our experience of pain, and how we manage it.

Producer: Beth Eastwood

Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk.

Joan Bakewell explores one of our greatest fears about death and dying: being in pain.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Stand, By Me

20161130

20161203 (R4)

Mortality is often on Joan Bakewell's mind. She's in her eighties, many of her friends have died and older relatives went long ago. She's seen others die and doesn't find it frightening.

Given that death and dying are just part of the stream of human existence, she's baffled that so many of us shy away from the subject. Particularly given that many of us don't die 'well'.

While the UK ranks as one of the best places to die in the world, thanks to palliative care and the hospice movement, this obscures many worrying realities. Most people say they want to die at home but many don't achieve it, with half of us dying on an often busy hospital ward. Furthermore, painkillers like morphine are often prescribed too late and in too low a dose.

In this series, Joan Bakewell and her panel talk openly about what happens in Britain today when we die. She explores the choices open to us and confronts the very questions about death and dying that we fear the most.

In this opening programme, Joan considers what we can all do to take control of our own deaths. She explores a growing social movement in palliative care which encourages people to stand beside the dying to ensure they have a say in how and where they die.

Producer: Beth Eastwood

Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk.

Joan Bakewell explores death and dying, confronting the very questions we fear the most.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Mortality is often on Joan Bakewell's mind. She's in her eighties, many of her friends have died and older relatives went long ago. She's seen others die and doesn't find it frightening.

Given that death and dying are just part of the stream of human existence, she's baffled that so many of us shy away from the subject. Particularly given that many of us don't die 'well'.

Producer: Beth Eastwood

Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk.

Joan Bakewell explores death and dying, confronting the very questions we fear the most.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Give My Body To Science

20171213

20171216 (R4)

Joan Bakewell and her panel explore what happens when you donate your body to science.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Joan Bakewell and her panel explore what happens when you donate your body to science.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

My Digital Legacy

20171220

20171223 (R4)

As we spend an ever increasing amount of time online, much of our lives, both professional and personal, have found their way onto the digital sphere.

So what happens to it all when we die? Should we view our digital assets much like our physical possessions? And, if so, how should we manage our digital legacies?

Producer: Beth Eastwood.

Joan Bakewell explores what happens to our digital assets when we die.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

As we spend an ever increasing amount of time online, much of our lives, both professional and personal, have found their way onto the digital sphere.

So what happens to it all when we die? Should we view our digital assets much like our physical possessions? And, if so, how should we manage our digital legacies?

Producer: Beth Eastwood.

Joan Bakewell explores what happens to our digital assets when we die.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Bury Me At Sea

20171227

20171230 (R4)

Although many people who have been buried at sea were sailors or navy personnel, anyone can have their body committed to the deep.

Few people choose the sea as their final resting place but, for those that do, there is a small band of funeral directors, skippers and coffin makers around the country who know how it's done.

A body can't be buried anywhere. There are designated sites around the country and a license is required to protect human health and the marine environment.

The Marine Maritime Organisation issues licences for burials in England. Applicants must supply a doctor's certificate to confirm that the body is free from infection and fever. It cannot be embalmed, must be lightly dressed in biodegradable clothing and tagged with durable ID.

The sea coffin itself looks a bit like a treasure chest. Built to withstand impact and to ensure it drops swiftly to the seabed, two hundred kilograms of iron, steel and concrete is strapped around the coffin and clamped to its base. To aid its sinking, dozens of holes are drilled into its softwood surface to let the seawater rush in.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss this little known mode of burial and explore how our naval history has shaped modern day practice. Joan also gets some tips on the best way to scatter ashes at sea.

Producer: Beth Eastwood.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss how you can opt for a watery grave.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Although many people who have been buried at sea were sailors or navy personnel, anyone can have their body committed to the deep.

Few people choose the sea as their final resting place but, for those that do, there is a small band of funeral directors, skippers and coffin makers around the country who know how it's done.

A body can't be buried anywhere. There are designated sites around the country and a license is required to protect human health and the marine environment.

Producer: Beth Eastwood.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss how you can opt for a watery grave.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Death Unexplained

20190123

20190126 (R4)

Why is a sudden, but not unexpected, death of someone very old or very ill, referred to a coroner to investigate? What happens then? These investigations are rarely talked about but are surprisingly common.

Joan Bakewell explores the issues with her panel, including His Honour Judge Mark Lucraft QC, in his first broadcast as Chief Coroner of England and Wales.

He reveals what the coroner process involves, from the first investigations to when a post-mortem or an inquest become necessary.

Having heard from listeners who felt implicated after the sudden arrival of the police, and whose bereavement was affected by the process that followed, Joan asks how people can best navigate the system when the death of a relative is referred to a coroner.

Producer: Beth Eastwood

Why is a sudden, yet not unexpected, death of someone old or ill, referred to a coroner?

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

I Can't Afford To Die

20190116

20190119 (R4)

The average cost of a funeral has doubled in the past twelve years. As people struggle to meet the soaring cost, Joan Bakewell explores how to achieve a decent send-off for a friend or relative, and even yourself, if you don't have the money.

Low-cost funerals are now in demand and, as Joan discovers, there are many ways of keeping the cost down. She and her panel discuss the different elements of a funeral to reveal where the money goes, and how you can make savings. Many people today are choosing to do away with the frills', such as the hearse, limousines and pall bearers, and focussing on the essentials - the coffin, cremation or burial, and the service.

While some can afford a low-cost funeral, an increasing number cannot. The state-funded public health funerals, or paupers funerals' as they were once called, are on the rise. But securing one from your local authority isn't always easy. Joan asks why these funerals can be so hard to access, when someone is in genuine need, and where to seek help.

Producer: Beth Eastwood

Joan Bakewell explores the options available when you can't afford a funeral.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

My Dying Wishes

20190109

20190112 (R4)

What kind of care would you like at the very end of your life? Where would you like to be? Do you want music playing? Would you want medical staff to try to resuscitate you? If you can't speak for yourself at the time, how can you be sure the people, involved in your care, do what you want?

Very few of us make our dying wishes known. Even the elderly and frail often shy away from documenting their preferences.

Yet it's crucial because the health professionals you come into contact with, at the end of your life, may know very little about you.

Advance Care Planning, as it's called, can be particularly crucial when disaster strikes, such as a cardiac arrest. The paramedics arriving on the scene are kept in the dark if you haven't documented your wishes, or nominated someone else to vouch for you.

Joan Bakewell reveals why it's so important to make your wishes known, and how to go about it.

Producer: Beth Eastwood

Joan Bakewell explores how to ensure your wishes at the end of your life are respected.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01		Death Itself	20161214	20161217 (R4)	Joan Bakewell and her panel consider the final days and hours that surround death itself. It's a time that we tend to shy away from, which perhaps explains why so much fear and uncertainty surrounds this time. Joan explores the reality of dying and asks what we should expect in the final days and hours. She demystifies the dying process itself and considers the physical changes that someone may go through as they die. She also discusses the choices open to us and the care and support that should be in place at the end of life. And you'd be surprised what you can do for your loved one after death has occurred. Relatives can take on any of the tasks traditionally carried out by funeral directors. It's even possible to keep a loved one's body at home for a while so friends and family can visit and, if they die in hospital, transport their body back home yourself. Producer: Beth Eastwood Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk. Joan Bakewell explores what happens in the days and hours that surround death itself. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying. Joan Bakewell and her panel consider the final days and hours that surround death itself. It's a time that we tend to shy away from, which perhaps explains why so much fear and uncertainty surrounds this time. Joan explores the reality of dying and asks what we should expect in the final days and hours. She demystifies the dying process itself and considers the physical changes that someone may go through as they die. She also discusses the choices open to us and the care and support that should be in place at the end of life. And you'd be surprised what you can do for your loved one after death has occurred. Relatives can take on any of the tasks traditionally carried out by funeral directors. It's even possible to keep a loved one's body at home for a while so friends and family can visit and, if they die in hospital, transport their body back home yourself. Producer: Beth Eastwood Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk. Joan Bakewell explores what happens in the days and hours that surround death itself. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.
01		Ease My Pain	20161207	20161210 (R4)	Joan Bakewell and her panel explore one of our greatest fears at the end of life - pain. Pain comes in all shapes and sizes and the meaning we ascribe to it - our suffering - drastically shapes our experience of pain, and how we manage it. Good symptom control at the end of life requires not only prescription of the right combination of medications, but also knowing when and how to take them. Many doctors are reluctant to prescribe opioids such as morphine until late in the course of disease, and often the doses are too weak. Furthermore, the health system often struggles to keep up with a patients changing symptoms as their disease progresses. Joan explores what patients can do to better the situation. She dispels the myths about morphine & highlights the obstacles that most commonly hinder our chance of a so called 'good' death. She also discovers how religious belief can influence our experience of pain at the end of life. Producer: Beth Eastwood Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk. Joan Bakewell explores one of our greatest fears about death and dying: being in pain. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying. Joan Bakewell and her panel explore one of our greatest fears at the end of life - pain. Pain comes in all shapes and sizes and the meaning we ascribe to it - our suffering - drastically shapes our experience of pain, and how we manage it. Good symptom control at the end of life requires not only prescription of the right combination of medications, but also knowing when and how to take them. Many doctors are reluctant to prescribe opioids such as morphine until late in the course of disease, and often the doses are too weak. Furthermore, the health system often struggles to keep up with a patients changing symptoms as their disease progresses. Joan explores what patients can do to better the situation. She dispels the myths about morphine & highlights the obstacles that most commonly hinder our chance of a so called 'good' death. She also discovers how religious belief can influence our experience of pain at the end of life. Producer: Beth Eastwood Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk. Joan Bakewell explores one of our greatest fears about death and dying: being in pain. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.
01		Stand, By Me	20161130	20161203 (R4)	Mortality is often on Joan Bakewell's mind. She's in her eighties, many of her friends have died and older relatives went long ago. She's seen others die and doesn't find it frightening. Given that death and dying are just part of the stream of human existence, she's baffled that so many of us shy away from the subject. Particularly given that many of us don't die 'well'. While the UK ranks as one of the best places to die in the world, thanks to palliative care and the hospice movement, this obscures many worrying realities. Most people say they want to die at home but many don't achieve it, with half of us dying on an often busy hospital ward. Furthermore, painkillers like morphine are often prescribed too late and in too low a dose. In this series, Joan Bakewell and her panel talk openly about what happens in Britain today when we die. She explores the choices open to us and confronts the very questions about death and dying that we fear the most. In this opening programme, Joan considers what we can all do to take control of our own deaths. She explores a growing social movement in palliative care which encourages people to stand beside the dying to ensure they have a say in how and where they die. Producer: Beth Eastwood Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk. Joan Bakewell explores death and dying, confronting the very questions we fear the most. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying. Mortality is often on Joan Bakewell's mind. She's in her eighties, many of her friends have died and older relatives went long ago. She's seen others die and doesn't find it frightening. Given that death and dying are just part of the stream of human existence, she's baffled that so many of us shy away from the subject. Particularly given that many of us don't die 'well'. While the UK ranks as one of the best places to die in the world, thanks to palliative care and the hospice movement, this obscures many worrying realities. Most people say they want to die at home but many don't achieve it, with half of us dying on an often busy hospital ward. Furthermore, painkillers like morphine are often prescribed too late and in too low a dose. In this series, Joan Bakewell and her panel talk openly about what happens in Britain today when we die. She explores the choices open to us and confronts the very questions about death and dying that we fear the most. In this opening programme, Joan considers what we can all do to take control of our own deaths. She explores a growing social movement in palliative care which encourages people to stand beside the dying to ensure they have a say in how and where they die. Producer: Beth Eastwood Some clips: Courtesy of Healthtalk. Joan Bakewell explores death and dying, confronting the very questions we fear the most. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.
02	01	Give My Body To Science	20171213	20171216 (R4)	Joan Bakewell and her panel explore what happens when you donate your body to science. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying. Joan Bakewell and her panel explore what happens when you donate your body to science. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.
02	02	My Digital Legacy	20171220	20171223 (R4)	As we spend an ever increasing amount of time online, much of our lives, both professional and personal, have found their way onto the digital sphere. So what happens to it all when we die? Should we view our digital assets much like our physical possessions? And, if so, how should we manage our digital legacies? Producer: Beth Eastwood. Joan Bakewell explores what happens to our digital assets when we die. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying. As we spend an ever increasing amount of time online, much of our lives, both professional and personal, have found their way onto the digital sphere. So what happens to it all when we die? Should we view our digital assets much like our physical possessions? And, if so, how should we manage our digital legacies? Producer: Beth Eastwood. Joan Bakewell explores what happens to our digital assets when we die. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.
02	03	Bury Me At Sea	20171227	20171230 (R4)	Although many people who have been buried at sea were sailors or navy personnel, anyone can have their body committed to the deep. Few people choose the sea as their final resting place but, for those that do, there is a small band of funeral directors, skippers and coffin makers around the country who know how it's done. A body can't be buried anywhere. There are designated sites around the country and a license is required to protect human health and the marine environment. The Marine Maritime Organisation issues licences for burials in England. Applicants must supply a doctor's certificate to confirm that the body is free from infection and fever. It cannot be embalmed, must be lightly dressed in biodegradable clothing and tagged with durable ID. The sea coffin itself looks a bit like a treasure chest. Built to withstand impact and to ensure it drops swiftly to the seabed, two hundred kilograms of iron, steel and concrete is strapped around the coffin and clamped to its base. To aid its sinking, dozens of holes are drilled into its softwood surface to let the seawater rush in. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss this little known mode of burial and explore how our naval history has shaped modern day practice. Joan also gets some tips on the best way to scatter ashes at sea. Producer: Beth Eastwood. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss how you can opt for a watery grave. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying. Although many people who have been buried at sea were sailors or navy personnel, anyone can have their body committed to the deep. Few people choose the sea as their final resting place but, for those that do, there is a small band of funeral directors, skippers and coffin makers around the country who know how it's done. A body can't be buried anywhere. There are designated sites around the country and a license is required to protect human health and the marine environment. The Marine Maritime Organisation issues licences for burials in England. Applicants must supply a doctor's certificate to confirm that the body is free from infection and fever. It cannot be embalmed, must be lightly dressed in biodegradable clothing and tagged with durable ID. The sea coffin itself looks a bit like a treasure chest. Built to withstand impact and to ensure it drops swiftly to the seabed, two hundred kilograms of iron, steel and concrete is strapped around the coffin and clamped to its base. To aid its sinking, dozens of holes are drilled into its softwood surface to let the seawater rush in. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss this little known mode of burial and explore how our naval history has shaped modern day practice. Joan also gets some tips on the best way to scatter ashes at sea. Producer: Beth Eastwood. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss how you can opt for a watery grave. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.
03		Death Unexplained	20190123	20190126 (R4)	Why is a sudden, but not unexpected, death of someone very old or very ill, referred to a coroner to investigate? What happens then? These investigations are rarely talked about but are surprisingly common. Joan Bakewell explores the issues with her panel, including His Honour Judge Mark Lucraft QC, in his first broadcast as Chief Coroner of England and Wales. He reveals what the coroner process involves, from the first investigations to when a post-mortem or an inquest become necessary. Having heard from listeners who felt implicated after the sudden arrival of the police, and whose bereavement was affected by the process that followed, Joan asks how people can best navigate the system when the death of a relative is referred to a coroner. Producer: Beth Eastwood Why is a sudden, yet not unexpected, death of someone old or ill, referred to a coroner? Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.
03		I Can't Afford To Die	20190116	20190119 (R4)	The average cost of a funeral has doubled in the past twelve years. As people struggle to meet the soaring cost, Joan Bakewell explores how to achieve a decent send-off for a friend or relative, and even yourself, if you don't have the money. Low-cost funerals are now in demand and, as Joan discovers, there are many ways of keeping the cost down. She and her panel discuss the different elements of a funeral to reveal where the money goes, and how you can make savings. Many people today are choosing to do away with the frills', such as the hearse, limousines and pall bearers, and focussing on the essentials - the coffin, cremation or burial, and the service. While some can afford a low-cost funeral, an increasing number cannot. The state-funded public health funerals, or paupers funerals' as they were once called, are on the rise. But securing one from your local authority isn't always easy. Joan asks why these funerals can be so hard to access, when someone is in genuine need, and where to seek help. Producer: Beth Eastwood Joan Bakewell explores the options available when you can't afford a funeral. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.
03		My Dying Wishes	20190109	20190112 (R4)	What kind of care would you like at the very end of your life? Where would you like to be? Do you want music playing? Would you want medical staff to try to resuscitate you? If you can't speak for yourself at the time, how can you be sure the people, involved in your care, do what you want? Very few of us make our dying wishes known. Even the elderly and frail often shy away from documenting their preferences. Yet it's crucial because the health professionals you come into contact with, at the end of your life, may know very little about you. Advance Care Planning, as it's called, can be particularly crucial when disaster strikes, such as a cardiac arrest. The paramedics arriving on the scene are kept in the dark if you haven't documented your wishes, or nominated someone else to vouch for you. Joan Bakewell reveals why it's so important to make your wishes known, and how to go about it. Producer: Beth Eastwood Joan Bakewell explores how to ensure your wishes at the end of your life are respected. Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.