#HaveTheConversation Kitten memes

Now, I love animals, and kittens are no exception.

So please don't think that my "Every time you chicken out of a DNACPR discussion, God kills a kitten" slide means that I hate cats! It doesn't!

I've used this slide in presentations for a couple of years now, and it usually works really well - especially because you can end a deep and heavy section of a talk with a breezy "Have a Chat, Save The Cat" final slide. But it also gets well shared on Twitter, because hey, who doesn't like a cute cat photo on Twitter? And if people stop and have a look at it, that will all help to get the #havetheconversation message across.

As a result, I've ended up doing several different "Death Kitten memes" (plus one puppy!) for friends to use in their presentations, so I thought I'd make them all available for download. Thanks are due to the photographers who kindly supplied their beautiful images to Pixabay.com for use by strangers.

You'll find them in the #Havetheconversation page on this website - please just help yourself!

More difficult, which I am sure someone will point out, is that filling in TEPs/ReSPECT forms and assisting with ADRTs is not part of the standard NHS contract for GPs - most of whom are small businesses. Undertaking time-consuming but vital tasks like these are a real issue - they're part of good medical care, but your GP's business won't be getting paid for undertaking them unless there are local arrangements in place. And time-consuming unpaid tasks can turn a viable business into an unviable one.

Still - these things are important.

At the very least, if you or a loved one has strong views on what treatment they may or may not want in event of a health catastrophe, do an ADRT. If someone's life is drawing to a close, prioritise getting a TEP or ReSPECT form and a DNACPR. And we should all arrange for someone we trust to have Power of Attorney for Health & Welfare (and financial matters, for that matter) to make decisions on our behalf in the event we are incapacitated. Sadly PoA requires a solicitor to arrange and there is the charge [addendum - incorrect - see below], the others are free.

ADDENDUM - 21/9/2019

Many thanks to subject matter expert Celia Kitzinger for pointing out that it is not essential to have a solicitor draw up Powers of Attorney forms (although many people seem to do so). The required forms are available at https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney (or in Welsh) and Age UK has excellent further information on Powers of Attorney

Celia also recommended the following websites:

Compassion in Dying for information on Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment (and help and support to make one)
MND's information on end of life planning - for people with Motor Neurone Disease