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1.
Supporting the Conversation
Most people find talking about their upcoming or eventual death or the death of a loved one to be emotionally charged and difficult. Sadness, anger, and fear are all real emotions that can emerge during conversations about end of life, and the anticipation of those feelings can understandably get in the way of exploring options in medical and palliative care and making important decisions.
Not surprisingly many people put off “having the conversation” as long as possible, and in some cases that delay means that care options are not discussed and family members are left in the dark about the wishes of their loved ones. This can have real and serious impacts on people, families, and the health care system.
At the same time, while having conversations about end of life can be difficult, the result is often clarity in terms of people’s desires, relief in terms of being able to share fears and concerns, and feelings of love and closeness stemming from what is ultimately a real heart to heart conversation.
Beyond that many spiritual traditions encourage the practice of contemplating death as a way of enhancing life. While end of life conversations are not a substitute for engaged spiritual practice, we believe they can serve a similar purpose and in many cases are the beginning of important life journeys.
Supporting “the conversation” is at the core of our funding strategy to improve end of life outcomes in Santa Barbara and the bulk of our funding for this strategy is directed through the Alliance for Living and Dying Well.
