Talking About End-of-Life Care

Discussing your wishes regarding decisions related to medical treatment toward the end of life can be extremely difficult. But just because they it is  hard, doesn’t mean it should be avoided. As uncomfortable as it may feel to think about these issues, communicating what you would want before the need arises can greatly reduce the stress your loved ones will feel when actually confronted with these decisions. Your guidance now will help your loved ones and ensure that you are treated the way you would prefer.

We have found a useful, simple resource that assists in approaching these difficult conversations. “Your Conversation Starter Kit” is an easy to use guide published by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. While it does not provide specific legal advice, it does lead you through a series of questions that can help you to clarify your vision for end-of-life care and prepare you to document your wishes.

If you are planning to meet with one of our attorneys to prepare an Advance Health Care Directive and other estate planning documents, you may wish to review the starter kit prior to your meeting.

For additional resources and information, as well as translations of the Starter Kit in French, Hebrew, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese, please visit www.TheConversationProject.org.