THE widower of a woman who talked about her final wishes with her loved ones, has told how it made their grief more bearable.

Riny Whiting, 63, died six months ago from mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that develops in the lining of body’s organs. But before she died she had discussed her wishes.

Now as part of Dying Matters week, end-of-life care nurses from the Great Western Hospitals specialists are encouraging patients across Swindon to do the same.

Riny’s husband Timothy, 65, from West Swindon said: “It was shocking and extremely difficult for us when were told that her condition wasn’t going to get any better but it never stopped her from talking to our family about what she wanted.

“Riny spoke to me about everything, from sorting out legal documents and rearranging the furniture at home, to planning her own funeral.

“Because she spoke about it first, I felt comfortable and confident to carry on what she wanted me to do.

“We were never in denial and Riny knew what was most important to her for the time she had left – spending time at home with our family, so we had nurses to help us with her medication at home, and we are so thankful that she received the most excellent care from them.”

Timothy said his wife’s bravery to open up about death made the difficult process of grieving much ‘more bearable’.

He added: “When Riny died, she was at peace as we had said and discussed everything possible. I am enormously grateful to Riny that she was brave enough to be so open about talking about death.”

The staff from GWH will be visiting several locations over the week, including the Atrium at Great Western Hospitals and Nationwide.

End-of-life nurse specialist Lorraine Hart: “Conversations about dying can be difficult, but we have found that it’s so important for people to talk openly about what they would like to happen, not only for themselves but for their love ones too.

“By reaching out to the local community, our hope is that more people will start talking to their families about important decisions, such as sorting out their digital assets and passwords. Planning ahead can also be as simple as downloading photos and videos from the cloud to share them with your loved one.

“Not only will this give you peace of mind, it will also help your loved ones to feel involved in your decisions and make sure they are not left guessing what you want.”