The Cost of Dying

Richards, N. , Quinn, S., Gott, M., Carduff, E., Mitchell, M. and Dooley, O. (2023) The Cost of Dying. [Exhibitions]

Abstract

This exhibition contemplates research findings on experiences of dying at home for people facing financial hardship and deprivation in Scotland. The imagery and testimonies encountered here lay bare end-of-life experiences which are not always considered. Firstly, not everyone pictured in this room looks as if they are dying. Despite serious illness, pain, and discomfort, many people included in the study continued to go about their daily lives. This included continuing to care for their children, grandchildren, and partners. That the dying are still carers, or still live alongside us in our communities, passing us in the stairwell, the library, or on the bus, is not always recognised. The twelve stories represented depict people who were weighed down by the heavy financial costs of dying. Some of these individuals also lacked a material environment or a care package conducive to a dignified end of life experience. For those who had struggled on a low income their entire lives, terminal illness only plunged them further into hardship. For others just about getting by, terminal illness brought new and unanticipated hardship. While the state offers a partial safety net in such cases, there are questions over whether this is sufficient to meet the needs for a comfortable end of life. The exhibition comprises three different approaches to aid a deeper understanding of the issues. The photovoice images, made by participants themselves, frame their experiences from the inside demonstrating their resilience as well as their isolation. The digital stories give the perspectives of bereaved loved ones. Margaret Mitchell’s images speak to each individual’s strengths as well as their vulnerabilities. As you view this exhibition, we ask you to think about what the NHS, housing associations, social work, and the third sector, as well as communities in general, should and could offer people who perhaps haven’t had the best chances in life. What could be designed or distributed differently to ease people’s distress in the final months of their lives?

• Item Type: Exhibitions
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Carduff, Dr Emma and Quinn, Dr Sam and Richards, Dr Naomi and Dooley, Oona
• Authors: Richards, N., Quinn, S., Gott, M., Carduff, E., Mitchell, M., and Dooley, O.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing > Nursing and Health Care ; College of Social Sciences > School of Social & Environmental Sustainability

Related URLs

• Publisher

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
304429		Dying at the Margins: uncovering the reasons for unequal access to home dying for the socio-economically deprived	Naomi Richards	Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)	ES/S014373/1	SSES - Interdisciplinary Studies