What is Dying to Know Day?
Dying to Know Day is all about starting those important conversations with your loved ones to express your wants and needs if something medically life-changing happens to you.
If you were in an accident today, who knows what your wishes would be?
It can be a difficult conversation to navigate. We share some pointers to help you through this Dying to Know Day so that you can start the well-needed discussion with your loved ones.
Although, certain questions can make us feel uncomfortable - many health professionals are urging ageing patients to sit down with their children, partner, carers and friends to explain their wants and needs. They encourage them to have these conversations while they are still able to express them, instead of the people they love having to make difficult decisions on their behalf.
How do you start the conversation and what kind of things do you need to say?
Nany doctors and lawyers suggest the sooner the better.
To help prompt the conversation, we have share our research on how to navigate your way through this topic.
To start, it’s important to remind them WHY you need to discuss your desires. Consider these questions:
- “I want to talk about my needs if anything happens to me.”
- “Can we take a moment to discuss my future in the event of a life-changing medical emergency or accident.”
- “It’s important to me that we discuss conditions of my life if I was involved in an accident or injury that affects my abilities.”
While the conversation can be challenging and a little daunting, this is a good time for everyone to express their feelings. But ultimately this is an opportunity for you to advocate for yourself and express your wishes. Dying to Know Day is all about reminding people of the importance of their voice.
After all, those who care about you want to ensure your wishes are being met.
Two people looking at a tablet while scrolling through the SafeMate website.
Topics you might consider discussing can include many of the things that can come up if something happens to a loved one, or in the event of death. While people can find these challenging to discuss now, having your wants and needs expressed and written down means there is less of a burden on your family to make these choices on your behalf during a far more stressful and sad time.
- Conditions - Your wants and needs based on your physical and emotional abilities.
- Organ Donation - If you are already a Registered Organ Donor, it’s important to let your family know and let them know the conditions you have agreed to through your registration process.
- Questions for your Doctors - What would you like your family to ask the doctor about your state of abilities or cognition to help them understand your wishes?
- Who will speak on your behalf - Specify who is your attorney and any important aspects of your Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) and Advanced Health Directive (AHD) including where they are located.
- Get SafeMate - SafeMate PLUS has sections specific to End of Life instructions such as where your EPA & AHD are located, whether you are an Organ Donor, your Emergency Contact details and any other specific requests you may have.
Remember that if you do not yet have these legal documents organised, now is the time.
According to Advance Care Planning Australia, if you haven’t already organised these legal documents, the perfect time is right after this conversation with your family:
- Complete an Enduring Power of Attorney
- Complete an Advance Health Directive
- Complete a Statement of Choices
Once you have had these legal documents taken care of, it’s important to keep them up-to-date if anything changes.
So why is SafeMate helpful?
Just by wearing SafeMate, you already have a spokesperson that can instruct paramedics on important details, like those listed above. No matter what might happen, you are easily identifiable and your specific requests are noted.
SafeMate speaks for you in a medical emergency.
To learn more about how SafeMate can help you speak this Dying to Know Day, head to our website at GetSafeMate.Com to see if SafeMate works for you.