I’ve got to get around to – looking into hospice – talking with loved ones about end of life – writing down how I want to be treated when I can’t say…
Sound like you? Well, you are not alone by any stretch of imagination. Here are some statistics that will show you have considerable company:
90% of people say that talking with their loved ones about end-of- life care is important.
27% have actually done so.
Source: The Conversation Project National Survey (2013)
60% of people say that making sure their family is not burdened by tough decisions is extremely important.
56% have not communicated their end-of life wishes.
80% of people say that if seriously ill, they would want to talk to their doctor about wishes for medical treatment toward the end of their life.
7% report having had this conversation with their doctor.
Source: Survey of Californians by the California HealthCare Foundation (2012)
82% of people say it’s important to put their wishes in writing.
23% have actually done it.
Source: Survey of Californians by the California HealthCare Foundation (2012)
These statistics are excerpted from the excellent website, The Conversation Project, located in Massachusetts. They say:
“The Conversation Project is dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care. 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.”
So there it is… The answer to amending your procrastination about something that WILL become the most important thing to you, whether it concerns your own life or that of a loved one. The Conversation Project is a way for you to break the logjam of issues, conflicts and aversions that show themselves in the statistics cited above, statistics that demonstrate that lots of people just like you have difficulty in thinking, talking and writing about end of life.
Since you have just taken the time to read this post, don’t you think you can spare just a few more minutes to visit The Conversation Project? There you can download a simple step-by-step guide to help you get started on conversations that you’ve been meaning to get around to.
And these conversations just might prove to be the most important beginnings you can make here at the outset of yet another new year.