Writing a letter with the end in mind | from Dr Kathryn Mannix

Talking about dying can be hard for patients and their families, especially when physically distanced from one another.

Dr Kathryn Mannix has developed a letter template to help patients write or dictate their thoughts - with help from staff - to their loved ones, giving them a lasting memory to treasure.

The template makes the process easier for the patient to have meaningful and lasting communication with their families at the end of the patient's life.

On Twitter, Dr Mannix includes experiences from individuals who have benefited from using the template.

Emma Strain has used the letter template with her Motor Neurone Disease patients. She said there have been “lots of tears from the patients, but ultimately [this is] something that has given them a feeling of being able to care *for* the people they care about and lessen the dreadful sense of helplessness. For me, [it is] a moment where my therapy practice changed from purely practical to psychological.”

Sources:
https://twitter.com/drkathrynmannix/status/1251550837723324418

https://withtheendinmind.co.uk/letter-template/

https://twitter.com/emma_strain/status/1251794888754188288

Video from BBC ideas with Dr Mannix: https://twitter.com/bbcideas/status/981071417914675200

Podcast with Dr Mannix: https://t.co/bsLFBpCfgb?amp=1