Harbor Light Hospice

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Starting The Hospice Conversation

November 9, 2015

starting the hospice conversation

It isn’t easy to start a conversation with your parents or other aging loved ones about hospice care. It’s hard to admit that someone you love may be dying, and it may be harder still for that person to be willing to face his or her own impending death. However, hospice can offer enormous help and comfort to both patients and their families, and too many people miss out on it because they delay the conversation too long.

Bringing It Up In Advance

Instead of waiting for someone to be in a terminal condition, you should bring it up far in advance. This way, you will know your loved one’s wishes, so it will be a lot easier to bring up the conversation again later. One simple and nonthreatening way to go about it is to think of questions about end-of-life care issues and decide how you yourself would answer them.

Questions to Consider

For instance, what would you do if you had lost your capacity to make decisions for yourself? Who would you appoint to make those choices for you? How would that person know what you want if you haven’t discussed it with them? What kind of care would you want for yourself if you knew you were in a terminal condition?

Once you’ve thought through your own answers to these questions, you can broach the subject with your parents and others. Focus on your own future instead of pressuring your parents to discuss theirs. Hopefully, they will be motivated to discuss their wishes on their own as a natural response to yours.

Don’t Wait! Have The Conversation!

It’s a great idea to have this conversation while your parents are in good health and probably years away from needing hospice. Milestone events such as graduations and family celebrations are ideal opportunities to have a lighthearted but important talk about the future.

Filed Under: Hospice News

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  • Hospice Care
    ▶
    • When To Start Hospice
    • How To Pay For Hospice
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Talking To Physicians About Hospice
    • Support For Patient Family Members
    • Caring For Veterans
    • Volunteering For Hospice
    • Medical Treatment During Hospice
  • Conditions Cared For
    ▶
    • ALS
    • Cancer
    • Dementia and Alzheimers
    • Heart Disease
    • HIV/AIDs
    • Kidney Failure/Renal Failure
    • Lung Disease
    • Neurological Diseases
  • Areas Served
    ▶
    • Illinois
      ▶
      • Decatur, IL
      • East Peoria, IL
      • Galesburg, IL
      • Winfield, IL
    • Indiana
      ▶
      • Merrillville/Crown Point, IN
      • Indianapolis, IN
      • Mishawaka/South Bend, IN
    • Nebraska
      ▶
      • Lincoln, NE
    • Ohio
      ▶
      • Akron, OH
      • Cleveland, OH
      • Youngstown, OH
    • Oregon
      ▶
      • Portland, OR
      • Salem, OR
    • Virginia
      ▶
      • Glen Allen, VA
      • Newport News, VA
  • Resources
    ▶
    • Advance Care Planning
      ▶
      • Advance Directives For Cancer Patients
      • Advance Directives For COPD Patients
      • Advance Directives for Dementia Patients
      • Advance Directives For Patients With Heart Failure
      • Advance Directives Overview
      • Artificial Nutrition and Hydration
      • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
      • Do Not Intubate (DNI) Order
      • Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order
      • Medical Power of Attorney
      • What is a Living Will?
    • Caregiving
      ▶
      • Being Safe at Home
      • Caring For Individuals In Pain
      • Organizational Tips for Caregivers
      • Providing Care
      • Supporting the Caregiver
      • The Dying Process
    • COVID-19
      ▶
      • How to Avoid Burnout
      • How to Balance Work and Life
      • The Importance of Self-Care
      • Tips to Reduce Stress at Work
    • Grief and Loss
      ▶
      • Helping Children Cope With Grief
      • A Guide For Grieving Parents
      • Experiencing Grief
      • Supporting Someone Who is Grieving
      • Talking to Loved Ones About End-of-Life
    • Hospice Patients Resources
      ▶
      • Living During End of life
      • Talking To Children About Death
      • Talking About Your Illness
    • Pain Management
      ▶
      • Generic Drugs
      • Myths About Pain
      • Pain Management Frequently Asked Questions
      • Prescription Pain Relievers
      • Relieving Pain Without Medication
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Gallery
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