To recognise Dying Matters Week 2024, the MacIntyre Health team have created some Makaton signing cards and videos as resources. Rachel Furniss, Health and Wellbeing Facilitator talks to us about how this all came about and their purpose.
She said:
During the Dying to Talk project we highlighted a few areas in which staff had requested more help and support with, in particular, around communication and how to navigate those difficult feelings and conversations.
In response, we created the emotion cards which would help staff and people who draw on MacIntyre’s support to communicate how they are feeling even when spoken language is a barrier.
The Health Team was then approached by Jess, a person who is both supported by, and works for MacIntyre as a Co-trainer, and asked us if we needed any support around Makaton and signing.
It was at this point that we identified there was a gap in some of the resources which no one else had created (that we could find). So, we created the Living well dying well cards.
This has been a long process and has had input by numerous of people at MacIntyre including the MacIntyre Easy Read Checkers and Advisors; our Makaton trainer, Anita; Rosie, a person living with dementia and who also works as part of the Health Team and, last but definitely no means least, the amazing Jess.
When reviewing the cards, Rosie identified she was unsure of some of the signs. This led to the idea of the signing series, and we quickly worked to put something in place. Working closely with the Health team, Jess has created an amazing series of short Makaton films that show people how to sign some of the living well dying well cards.
You can find all of these videos here. To download the cards, click here.
