ADVANCE CARE PLANNING
It is commonly said that death is the last taboo subject, now that sex is widely discussed in all the media. As a result the words death and dying are still difficult for many people to say so terms such as “he passed away” are still common. There has also been a great deal of publicity and discussion about physician assisted suicide in recent years. This is an important issue but relates to only a very small number of dramatic situations. For many people the key issue is dying well with “physician assisted support”, to coin a new term, or, to be more accurate carer, nurse and physician assisted support. People from the age of fifty onwards therefore need to think about dying, discuss it with other people and decide on their preferences, on what they want to happen and what they would prefer not to happen, and they should write these down. However, such an advanced care plan is not a document to be signed, witnessed, sealed and locked away but a document that should be the basis for reflective discussion and modification over the years as things change.
Discussion about dying is part of planning for the future, just like thinking about housing or finance, or what you want to do with your time, and the evidence is that people who make plans for the future and have a sense of purpose feel, and are, healthier. For so many people discussing the future with their spouse or children death is the elephant in the room
It is commonly said that death is the last taboo subject, now that sex is widely discussed in all the media. As a result the words death and dying are still difficult for many people to say so terms such as “he passed away” are still common. There has also been a great deal of publicity and discussion about physician assisted suicide in recent years. This is an important issue but relates to only a very small number of dramatic situations. For many people the key issue is dying well with “physician assisted support”, to coin a new term, or, to be more accurate carer, nurse and physician assisted support. People from the age of fifty onwards therefore need to think about dying, discuss it with other people and decide on their preferences, on what they want to happen and what they would prefer not to happen, and they should write these down. However, such an advanced care plan is not a document to be signed, witnessed, sealed and locked away but a document that should be the basis for reflective discussion and modification over the years as things change.
Discussion about dying is part of planning for the future, just like thinking about housing or finance, or what you want to do with your time, and the evidence is that people who make plans for the future and have a sense of purpose feel, and are, healthier. For so many people discussing the future with their spouse or children death is the elephant in the room