Experts say the beginning of the year is a great time to break the silence around one of life’s most important, yet most avoided, conversations: our wishes at the end of our lives. Research finds only one of three people has completed related paperwork such as advanced directives.
Meagan Williams, manager of clinical education for Compassion and Choices, a national nonprofit focused on end-of-life health care planning and options, said while the Pacific Northwest is ahead of the curve in providing options during this time, the conversations can still be uncomfortable, so a lot of people wait to fill out the paperwork until there’s a crisis.
“Our goal is to encourage everyone over the age of 18 to start having these conversations,” she said, “because you could unfortunately be in an accident or end up with an illness that puts you on a ventilator, or has you in a place where you can’t make your own choices.”
Williams said Compassion and Choices has an online guide that walks people through filling out an advanced directive. She said it also includes a dementia toolkit and other documents that spell out end-of-life choices for Oregon or any state.
Williams explained that while completing the paperwork is the goal, the conversations it sparks are also important. She said talking openly with loved ones about your wishes helps them ask questions and support you fully, especially if you can’t speak for yourself.
“Talking about death will not make it come faster but it will give you a softer place to land when your time is coming,” she said. “I want my loved ones to be with me and present, not waffling over what decisions to make.”
Williams said the start of a new year, a new season, or some other transition moment such as returning from time away from work and feeling refreshed are great times to begin talking about end-of-life options. She also encouraged people to treat advance directives as living documents that they revisit often as health or other life changes happen.
Isobel Charle, Public News Service
