Beginning End-of-Life Care Discussions

No one welcomes contemplating their own mortality, let alone having difficult discussions about it. Nevertheless, it is crucial to engage in these conversations with both your family and healthcare team. This ensures that your wishes for end-of-life care are respected. By openly sharing your goals of care, you can more fully prepare yourself and your loved ones for what lies ahead. What are end-of-life preferences and goals of care? End-of-life preferences involve decisions about medical treatments you want or don't want if you can't decide for yourself. These might include life-sustaining actions like CPR, ventilators, and tube feeding, as well as comfort measures such as pain relief and hospice. On the other hand, goals of care are personal and emotional objectives that can guide medical choices near the end of life. For instance, these might include dying at home, being free of pain, or staying mentally alert. Why are these conversations important? Discussing your c...