09/24/2025
💜 Wednesday Wisdom💜
It’s easier not to think about the future — and that’s totally human. But planning for your golden years matters, and talking with your family about what you want at the end of life can make a huge difference.
Making health and financial choices for a loved one is full of guilt and sorrow. You may be grieving a parent’s health decline while also being responsible for their care: deciding whether they need a care home, what medical treatments or surgeries to pursue, or how to manage their finances. These are often life-and-death decisions, and they feel heavier when no one knows the person’s wishes.
I sit with families every day helping them navigate these choices. Adult children want the very best for their parents and often feel terrible about having to make decisions on their behalf — especially if there was never a conversation about preferences. That’s why I’m asking you to start those conversations now.
What to talk about:
- Values and goals: What matters most — comfort, independence, length of life, avoiding certain interventions?
- Treatment preferences: How does your loved one feel about life-sustaining treatments, resuscitation, hospitalization, or hospice care?
- Living arrangements: Would they prefer to stay at home, move to assisted living, or consider nursing care if needed?
- Financial and legal planning: Who will manage finances and medical decisions if they can’t? Have they completed an advance directive, durable power of attorney, or other documentation?
Be kind — to your loved one and to those who may need to make decisions. Encourage specific, compassionate language that releases family members from impossible guilt: clear wishes make it easier to honor them. And be realistic — not everyone dies quietly at home. The path to the end of life can include hospital stays, chronic conditions, mobility challenges, or cognitive decline, and knowing that ahead of time helps families prepare.
I don’t share this to scare you, but to help you prepare. Please have the hard conversations, write down your wishes, and consider legal and medical documents that make your preferences clear. You — and your family — will be grateful you did.
💗 -Cari
RN/Owner