You’ve made a decision to express your healthcare preferences or even talk about your afterlife planning when someone you’re talking to is not interested in hearing it. How do you react? and What can you do? Here are some ways.
Briefly touch on the topic.
Before recommending a later time to sit down and discuss it. For example, you could remark, “I’ve been thinking about some things I want you to know concerning my future healthcare or life decisions, can we set a later date to discuss it.”
Make plans for a comfortable encounter.
You might, for instance, choose a casual ordinary day for a walk or a relaxed family weekend break. Be sensitive to the other person’s emotional needs, and if they prefer to discuss difficult subjects in private, start the conversation in a private setting rather than a public one.
You might suggest breaching the topic over the television show, at the family’s favorite restaurant, in the car on the way home, or on a walk.
Start with what you have or a story.
Consider who you are. Do you have common interests? Watch a film or play a game that can help soften the barrier and help you initiate a conversation. Sharing stories of friends or family who were not able to make their own decision can also help you in expressing your needs and for others to understand what you are trying to convey.
Choose a suitable proxy, and appoint someone using an advance care plan (ACP).
Consider a proxy that will work with you and respect your wishes. If you do not have the capacity to speak for yourself one day, a donee can help you make your desired choice of medical and health decisions. Select a Donee that communicates with you and knows your wishes in life. You should prevent confusion throughout your life by constantly informing and updating your family members who your donees are. For more information regarding ACP click here.
Write down your decisions or have them legally documented via Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA).
Communicate your decisions through email, text, or letter. You might even record snippets of videos and have them published on social media. Have them readily accessible to your family and friends and the proxies. Alternatively, you may also wish to have an LPA in place to state your preferences about how you would prefer for your financial matters, personal welfare, and healthcare to be handled. For more Information regarding LPA click here. What’s the difference between (ACP) (LPA) (AMD)?
Well thanks to singaporelegaladvice.com, we have a summarised version in one quick glance.
Consider a plan in place for your End of Life journey.
We can’t force anyone to have these uncomfortable conversations with us, and if your closest person isn’t willing to talk about it or listen to your request. It may be better to just take the solutions into our own hands and have everything planned out for greater peace of mind. Last on the list, you may consider having an End of Life journey planned out to ensure that your final rites will be carried out according to your wishes with grace and dignity.
With planning, we can be assured that our wishes will be abided, hence minimizing any ambiguity and disagreements among family members, which in turn provides us with greater peace of mind and much more valuable time with our family members spent in harmony.
Trying again.
Even if someone doesn’t want to talk, you can briefly pause the conversation. Leaving the door open for the future does not necessarily mean you have to initiate another discussion.
To bring up this discussion without overdoing it, you have to strike the perfect balance. It won’t help out anyone to incessantly harass a person when it comes to this subject. If that person doesn’t really want to discuss it, don’t be hard on yourself. Remember, you tried your best. You can’t compel anyone to speak if he or she is not interested in it.
Unsure as to how you should start exploring end-of-life planning? check out our interactive toolkit to get started.
About Life Cafe:
Life Cafe is a community that helps raise awareness and brings knowledge on grief management, mental wellness, grief therapy, and management and life education so that our audiences can be better prepared for their life journey.
Live Life, Love Life:
Whether you are planning your own or your loved ones’ end-of-life plan, Nirvana Memorial Garden can help you achieve total peace of mind and long-term savings with a comprehensive suite of funeral and preplanning services. To learn more, visit us at nirvana.com.sg.
Disclaimer:
While the Information is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact the accuracy of the Information. The Information may change without notice and Nirvana Memorial Garden is not in any way liable for the accuracy of any information printed and stored or in any way interpreted and used by a user.