We are well aware that people don’t like to talk about the end stage of their lives and unless they have had some direct experience with palliative care, they tend not to know what support is available. This lack of understanding often extends to family or loved ones, who can be integral in decision making when the time comes.
It is true that the theme for National Palliative Care Week 2011 is confronting - Let’s chat about dying. Our first reactions to this statement may be ‘why’, or an outright ‘no’. Thinking about dying and talking about death is difficult for most Australians, it is not something that they want to do.
But although something is difficult, can we afford to ignore it?
Death is an experience we will all go through, and it is important that we have thought about the end stage of our lives, talked about it with our loved ones, and planned for it. We want to encourage people to think about where they would like to be when they die, who they want to be present, and importantly communicating this to family and loved ones.
To find out more visit: www.palliativecare.org.au.