Cuidado paliativo

COMMUNICATING
End-of-Life Wishes

N AT I O N A L H O S P I C E A N D P A L L I AT I V E C A R E O R G A N I Z AT I O N

Communicating End-of-Life Care Wishes

W

hen it comes to creating memories,

the family is often at the heart of sharing in life events. We plan for weddings, the birth of a child, going off to college, and retirement. Despite the conversations we have for these life events, rarely do we have conversations about how we want to be cared for at the end of our lives. With roughly 2.4 million Americans dying each year, it is important that personal conversations take place about the kinds of experiences you want for yourself and the wishes of your loved ones before facing an end-of-life situation. We know from research that Americans are more likely to talk to their children about safe sex and drugs than to talk to their parents about end-of-life care choices.

Experts agree the time to discuss your views about end-of-life care, and to learn about the end-of-life care choices available, is before a life-limiting illness occurs or a crisis happens. By preparing in advance, you can help reduce the doubt or anxiety related to making decisions for your family member when they cannot speak for themselves.

Plan Ahead
The time to communicate end-of-life care wishes is now when you and your loved ones are still able to communicate your choices. Review the steps below and share them with your friends and family to communicate end-of-life wishes.

2

Decide what you want for your own end-of-life care.

The following are simple steps to ensure that endof-life care wishes are followed: • Draw up a living will of written instructions to share care and treatment wishes and preferences in the event you cannot speak for yourself. • Have a durable power of attorney in place that allows a person of your choosing to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to do so. Provide your family doctor with a copy of this document. Make sure