Why it is important to talk about this final taboo
A new report released by the NSW Council on the Ageing (COTA) reveals that many older people find there is still a taboo around end-of-life planning, and struggle to talk to their families about their wishes.
“Most of our respondents agreed that as a community we don’t discuss death and dying enough,” said COTA NSW chief executive Meagan Lawson.
“Many people don’t even understand the types of legal documents that can be used. This makes planning of care and medical intervention much more difficult and may prevent the dying person from expressing their final wishes.”
The report is based on a survey of 6043 older Australians. Most respondents had a will, although 18 per cent said theirs was not current. However, the use of Enduring Guardianship and Advance Care Directives was low, particularly in the 50-69 age group.
The consequences of not putting these legal arrangements in place can be significant. Without them, it is much more likely that the older person’s wishes for the last stage of their life will not be realised. This causes distress for the dying person as well as increased stress for their families.
The report also looks at whether respondents were confident to talk about palliative care and end of life issues (just over half said they were) and what were people’s main wishes for the last stage of their life (to be free from pain and surrounded by loved ones).
It makes five recommendations to the NSW government. These include: expanding peer-led legal education programs; funding community education on palliative care and end-of-life issues; developing education of health professionals on these issues; promoting access to bereavement counselling; and developing strategies to increase death literacy in the community.
You can read the full report here.
I have made up my will recently with Enduring Guardianship. My sons know exctly what my wishes are and I don't see any problems ahead. My dear husband was placed in Palliative care because nursing him at home was just too distressing for him as he needed constant care, and as the Nurse said, "He will get 24 hours of attention and you could only give him 12 hours", which was too exhausting for me, I could see myself going down hill as well.