The Conversation Project

Talk to Your Family AboutEnd of Life Care Before You Need It

When surveyed, all of us agree that advance care planning is critically important.
Yet less than one-third of us take the time to complete a living will or have a conversation about our values, preferences and choices regarding medical care in the event of a terminal diagnosis.
The nationally acclaimed program, The Conversation Project, notes that…

“Too many people are dying in a way they wouldn’t choose, and too many of their loved ones are left feeling bereaved, guilty and uncertain.
“It is time to transform our culture so we shift from not talking about dying to talking about it.
“It is time to share the way we want to live at the end of our lives. And it is time to communicate about the kind of care we want and don’t want for ourselves.”

You have the right to make choices about your medical care, and this right continues even if you are unable to communicate due to illness or injury.
At Hospice of the Bluegrass, we have seen that difficult decisions about medical care are much easier for families that have had conversations about preferences for medical care well in advance.
At Hospice of the Bluegrass we are committed to community and professional education.
We offer presentations at no charge on a wide range of topics including advance care planning.
For more information on how to start the conversation with your family and to find resources that will help you engage in advance care planning, visit our website at www.hospicebg.org/advancecareplanning.

By Kim Livesay