The holidays provide
wonderful opportunities for families and close friends to get together,
reminisce, and have a joyful time. But what about happiness in the future? Eight
out of ten people say it is “very” or “somewhat” important to write down end-of-life wishes, but only 36% actually have written instructions. Why not take advantage
of holiday time together to engage in important end-of life conversations that can
be crucial later in honoring wishes of those you love and yourself.
Engage With Grace is a a movement aimed at promoting these kinds of
conversations using the five questions below. They’re not easy questions, but
they are important and shouldn’t be ignored. Sometimes we think we know what
loved ones want, and we really don’t. Later in life, when several people are
involved in making inevitable decisions about life threatening health matters,
guessing, confusion, and hurt feelings can easily hinder progress. The key to
preventing this negativity is having end-of-life conversations when they can be
positive with personal input regarding what loved ones really want.
Fortunately, many people actually enjoy discussing their answers with loved
ones.
Are you aware that some
chronically ill and dying Americans are receiving more care than they and their
families actually want or benefit from? Add a new gift to your
holidays by including thoughtful conversations that can improve quality of
life. No one knows what the circumstances could be at future family gatherings
during a healthcare crisis. You and your loved ones can benefit greatly from
answering these questions and implementing the suggestions given by being
proactive when the time comes:
Frances Shani Parker,
Author
Becoming
Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many booksellers in
America and other countries and in e-book form at
Amazon and Barnes and Noble booksellers.
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