No one wants to bring up dying in a conversation, especially one with older parents. Nonetheless, talking & discussing with your older loved ones about the final stage of their life is essential.

Seniors might think it will be super simple when the time comes: Snap your fingers & they’re gone. We guarantee that it’s definitely not the case, especially when the seniors suffer from diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. Adult children that avoid talking about end of life care for their seniors will be left blindsided, unprepared, and uncertain. At this point as all decisions about caregiving for their seniors now rest heavily on them.

Honest discussions with your older loved ones about how they want to spend their last days will allow you & them to prepare & plan ahead. This limit’s the stress for yourself, and guarantee’s the highest quality of care your seniors will receive later on.

It’s never too soon to speak of death, until it’s too late. Below are the questions you need to ask your seniors to find out exactly what they want at the end of life:

Who

Who will care for you?
Who do you trust to make health decisions on your behalf?
Who do you want to be there at the end of life?

What

What support is available to you?
What medical treatment & interventions do and don’t you want?

When

When do you want someone to manage your affairs or make decisions on your behalf?

Where

Where do you want to spend your last months or days?

How

How do you envisage your end of life?

Why

Why are these things important to you?

You don’t have to have all the answers in one conversation - just take your time to approach the topic delicately. Open-ended questions can help draw out the answers much easier. When it comes to the real talk, try to ease into the conversation by discussing about the future in general at first before going into the subject of dying.

Remember to always be patient, as it may take a while for your seniors to feel comfortable talking about them dying. Some seniors may never want to discuss dying matters. Whilst this will make things harder on your part later on, you have to respect their choice.

If you’re having problems talking about this hard topic with your seniors, or need help taking care of them at home, Home Instead Senior Care Outer East can offer help & support. We provide high quality in-home care for older people, and help with a range of personal & lifestyle needs while providing welcome companionship.

Contact one of our friendly office staff at (03) 9754 4861 to know more about our services & the options available for your seniors.

Thanks for reading through this Blog, I hope you have found it useful. If you require any further assistance please feel free to contact the office.

Kind regards,
Suzanne McLoughlin
Owner of Home Instead Senior Care Outer East

P.S. We provide free Care Consultations and resource guides to support and guide families. Download your free copies from our Aged Care Resources page or Request a Free Information Pack to receive a hard copy.