Preparing for end-of-life is important for people of any age and health status. Some benefits of end-of-life preparation include:
- planning for the end of life becomes easier when you are in good health because the pressure may be easier to handle;
- when time is on your side, the initial discussions may give you the opportunity to explore in detail your end-of-life choices and make the decisions you believe are right for you and those you love;
- by doing so, you give people the opportunity to know, understand, and respect what you wish for your end-of-life;
- perhaps you are helping those you love to begin conversations about your end-of-life preferences, as they might find it difficult to begin discussions themselves;
- by discussing your end-of-life wishes and preferences with your family, you may help them to better understand your views on end-of-life care. In the event that those you love ever need to make decisions about your end-of-life care, this will hopefully inform their decision-making and relieve them of the stress;
- in this way, you relieve the medical profession and those you love from having to make all the decisions you have already made;
- the process and outcomes of your end-of-life will be determined by your own wishes, preferences and decisions, even if at some point you are unable to do so; and
- having discussed and planned, all that remains is to live your life to the fullest!
