Tara Lupo
End-of-Life Support
Being Prepared Is a Gift
"I've prepared for my most important journeys. How do I prepare for this one?"
Loving life doesn't mean we cannot look openly at the fact that one day we will die. The inevitability of death makes life
that much more precious. However, advances in medicine over the past half century have led us to think of death as a failure instead of the exit we were always meant to take. How might acceptance and planning benefit us and our loved ones?
None of us know when we will die. It could be a car crash tomorrow or a slow decline decades from now. Being prepared is largely a question of paperwork. Most of us intend to get the paperwork in place sometime, but fail to do so in any thorough or organized way. Spending a little time now to get your wishes down on paper is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your loved ones. I have witnessed deaths surrounded by disagreement and confusion, and deaths surrounded by a sense of peace and completion. Planning as well as we can now gives our loved ones the best chance of having that peaceful experience when we go.
Know Your Options
"I want to die at home and be buried under the apple tree . . . can I do that?"
We have the right to exit this life in a way that aligns with our values. Since death has largely been removed from the home and relegated to nursing homes and hospitals, many people feel confused about what options, if any, they have. In order to reclaim death as a natural part of life we must be willing to think about it, talk about it, and get our wishes down on paper.
