What happens to our digital memories when we die?

Keech Hospice Care hosts free online workshop

On 1 November 2023 and 11 January 2024, we will be holding free one-hour online workshops open to care professionals and the public, which addresses what happens to someone’s digital footprint when they die. The session helps individuals, professionals and family members gain a better understanding of what a digital legacy is, how it can comfort family members and how it can be safely accessed.

So much of our lives these days is digital. All our photographs, videos, personal information, financial dealings and more – it’s all online, and yet few of us stop to think what happens to it after we die. The workshop aims to raise awareness of this topic and ensure individuals get their wishes when it comes to what happens to their digital assets when they’re gone.

How do you give loved ones control over your digital assets?

How do you make your online memories accessible to family and ensure your chosen people have permission to take over your online accounts? The session answers these questions and more; not to mention the all-important one: how do you broach the conversation in the first place?

A main barrier to having the conversation is that families may not want to risk causing upset by bringing up a subject such as digital assets after death. But this can mean wishes go unmet and can add to the emotional rollercoaster that families and friends find themselves in when someone dies. Along with practical advice, in the workshop we also address the emotions involved with having these discussions.

Topics addressed in the workshop include:

● What is a digital footprint?
● How to ensure your wishes are met
● How digital memories can comfort those left behind
● How to safely pass on permissions to loved ones
● The best way to broach the subject
● What happens if you do nothing?

The course host is Karen Hibbert, Compassionate Communities Lead at Keech Hospice Care.
Interested in taking part? Anyone wishing to take part should register here.

For further information please contact:

Mellissa Higgins, Acting Head of Marketing and Communications, Keech Hospice Care, 07877599280 or mellissa.higgins@keech.org.uk.

Notes to editors

Images:

If additional images to the above are required, please contact Mellissa Higgins, Acting Head of Marketing and Communications.