End-of-life planning involves discussing and documenting an individual’s wishes for medical care, funeral arrangements, and more. This conversation can be started by discussing what a “good death” means to the individual. Living wills and hospice care are important components of end-of-life planning, and government support services are available to help caregivers.
End-of-life planning is an important decision-making process conducted by an individual and their family members to prepare for the problems that arise when a person dies. For some people, this conversation happens when they’re diagnosed with a terminal illness. For others, the discussion takes place when they’re still in good health and expect to still have years to enjoy themselves. No matter when end-of-life planning occurs, it will help family members, close friends and caregivers know what to do for a number of different scenarios the individual may be facing.
While it can be a difficult discussion to start, one way to start a conversation about end-of-life planning is to talk about what would be considered a good death for that individual. A person needs to consider his end-of-life wishes such as where he would like to be when he dies, how much medical intervention he expects, what he would like his funeral or memorial service to include, and where he would like to be buried. The results of this conversation can help the individual create advance directives, legal documents that express what he or she would like to do to achieve a good death.
A key document for end-of-life planning is a living will that covers the person’s medical wishes. If the individual does not want life-extending surgeries or only certain surgeries, those limits would be set forth in the living will. In the event that the individual is unable to enforce those wishes at the end of his or her life, a health care attorney grants authority for another person to make health care decisions on that individual’s behalf. This person should be very familiar with the patient’s wishes.
If a terminally ill patient at the end of their life decides to limit the amount of medical intervention they have, they may opt for hospice care. The end-of-life care provided in a hospice focuses on putting the patient at ease. Patients will receive medications to manage the pain and symptoms associated with their illnesses. Hospices also offer psychological and spiritual counseling to help transition with emotional difficulties associated with death.
Many governments offer end-of-life planning support services that help caregivers care for elderly or dying loved ones. Programs could include hospice locators, home health care agency information, and consumer advocacy programs for assisted living and nursing homes. Caregivers can also find information about disability benefits, senior benefits, or other programs that help cover medical bills.
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