Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1498557
14 Manitoba By Wendy King A n end-of-life plan, and the conversation around it, can be a source of comfort for individuals and their families whether it's part of long-term estate planning or, even more importantly, because end-of-life is imminent due to illness. "The end-of-life plan is for the people in palliative care and the people around them," says Wayne Sandler, community outreach and education co-ordinator at Palliative Manitoba (palliativemanitoba.ca). "It's where the person who is dying is getting the death that they choose. Going through the process also prepares families, so there's a greater chance that you're going to be able to grieve in a productive way when it's planned. Families do a lot better." What needs to be considered as part of the plan? "It's making sure a health-care plan is in place, whether you're dealing with the health-care issues now and are in treatment or moving to palliative, end-of-life care," he says. The first part of the process is for the individual making the plan. "The early stage is building up a picture of who the person is and what they want their death to be like. It's also talking to people to help you through that process," he says. Finding the right person to talk to is key. "If there's a safe person involved, whether it's a spouse or a partner, a friend or a family member, we need to approach them first and have the beginning of a conversation," he says. "There's really no good way to start it other than 'I'm clearly ill, and we need to talk about what's next.' That's where a lot of internal questions need to be answered, maybe with the support of family and friends or clergy or health-care professionals." Part of the conversation includes looking at issues around decisions and substitute decision-makers. "As health-care challenges progress, people may not be able to speak for themselves, so there's designating who speaks for them, what are the directives regarding their health care, and how that gets executed," he says. Hard talks: End-of-life conversations Continued on page 15 PALLIATIVE MANITOBA Wayne Sandler, community outreach and education co-ordinator at Palliative Manitoba. Photo by Darcy Finley 14 Manitoba