Talking About Death: The First Step to Dying WellTalking About Death: The First Step to Dying Well
Preparing for a Good End

Talking About Death: The First Step to Dying Well

Up to 90 percent of patients with serious, life-limiting illnesses report never discussing their end-of-life wishes with their physicians.
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Vera Prokhorova/Shutterstock
By Sharleen Lucas R.N.
Updated:
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This is part 2 in “Preparing for a Good End”

In this series, we’ll examine ways of making meaning in the face of death, offering tools founded in traditional wisdom and scientific evidence to help our readers live well right to the very end.

“Overtreatment and unresolved existential issues is what causes suffering at the end of life,” palliative care expert Rebecca Gagne-Henderson told The Epoch Times.

Up to 90 percent of patients with serious, life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer, COPD, and chronic kidney disease, report never discussing their end-of-life wishes with their physicians. Research shows that patients want these discussions but most never initiate the talk—nor do their doctors, whose training focuses on saving lives, not helping people die well.