Majority of Americans want to talk about end-of-life care

The Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) is sharing the results of a national survey by The Conversation Project, which reveals that the comfort zone is growing larger for having end-of-life care conversations.

More than half (53 percent) of Americans now say they would feel relieved if a loved one started “the conversation.”

One of the roadblocks to starting a conversation about wishes for end-of-life care has been the belief that it would make loved ones anxious.

“The survey shows that talking with the people we love about their wishes for end-of-life care brings relief, not anxiety,” said Ellen Goodman, founder of The Conversation Project. “This is another important impetus to change.”

In 2013, the survey showed that more than 90 percent of Americans thought it was important to have the conversation, but only 27 percent had it. The new survey shows a gradual but significant closing of the gap. Some 32 percent have now had these conversations, an increase of five percent or approximately 12.5 million American adults.

“We have begun to break the taboo around talking about death,” said Goodman. “There’s a huge cultural shift under way. Virtually everyone knows this is important, but there is still a lingering reluctance to begin.”

National Healthcare Decisions Day, coming on April 16, is when Americans are encouraged to talk to their loved ones and friends about what matters most to them when it comes to end-of-life care.

The Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association is a nonprofit public charity that has joined national, state and community efforts to increase the quality of life for seriously ill persons, their loved ones, their caregivers and the health care community in Putnam County.

For more information, contact Director Elaine Peck at epeck@pchosp.org or visit www.pchpca.org.