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The Baked Bean actors on “A short film about death and dying”<\/p><\/div>\n
When asked what they think about the topic of death, Mandy is most unambiguous in explaining their absence.<\/h3>\n
\u201cNO!! I don\u2019t like it!\u201d she shouts, flourishing this\u00a0statement with a few expressions that a dignified academic like me probably shouldn\u2019t repeat in her blog.<\/p>\n
The thing is, watching this film, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that a lot of people with intellectual disabilities do<\/em> need to talk about dying. Louise explained that it certainly showed up an unmet need. The actors speak movingly about their own bereavements and the effect death has on people with intellectual disabilities.<\/p>\nWe all understood that this group of actors felt too vulnerable to address the issue of death and dying on stage. It would be useful, though, to know what they think would help to cope with death and loss, so I\u2019m glad they were able to talk about this on camera.<\/p>\n
John suggests that a counselling group might help.<\/h3>\n
\u201cBecause there may be other people there who are in the same boat as them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramatu says, \u201cPeople can be in your face. It makes you a little bit frustrated when there\u2019s people hanging around you, and you just want to be alone.\u201d She explains that it\u2019s better to speak to someone that you really know, and not just to anybody. Someone who will listen to her and make her feel better about heryself.<\/p>\n
“Then you are around people that love you and care for you.\u201d<\/h3>\n
\u201cSome people are referred to psychiatry,\u201d says Gary. \u201cBut at the end of the day they are just paid to dig deep and find out more about your life. And if they are a total stranger, you don\u2019t want to open up to another total stranger.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact, Gary has quite a lot to say. He was my co-researcher for many years, so perhaps he is better prepared than his peers to articulate his thoughts on the topic of death and loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people with disabilities don\u2019t see their family regularly. So they have to rely on people coming in to see them. Which is kind of hard,\u201d he adds thoughtfully, \u201cif they\u2019re changing all the time. Because you get to know one lot of carers, or support staff as some people call them. And times move on in that person\u2019s life, or something\u2019s happened, and they\u2019ve had to leave and are replaced by someone new. Which upsets the apple cart a bit. So the person with a disability is unsure, they\u2019ve got to go back to basics and start all over again\u2026If I had more regular staff, I\u2019d find it easier to sit that person down and talk to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
John sums it all up.<\/p>\n
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