So you’ve been diagnosed with terminal illness. This is a difficult thing to hear, and it can be even more difficult to know what steps you should take at this point in your life. You may not want to talk about it or bring it up, but the truth is that the terminal illness will have an impact on many people around you – including your family members. In this blog post, we’ll discuss 5 important things you need to do when terminal illness sets in!
Step 1: Learn as much as you can about the illness.
You should start by understanding how your illness will affect you, physically and emotionally. This means that it’s important to talk with a healthcare provider about the changes you can expect – from symptoms to side effects of medication. Knowledge is power in this case because once you understand what might happen as the disease progresses, then fear won’t be able to take hold so easily! Your family members may also have questions for a doctor or nurse who understands how terminal illnesses work best so they can get their own questions answered too.
Step 2: Talk to your family and friends about death
In most cases, your family will have a lot of questions – and it’s important to answer those as best you can. Talk with them about how the illness may affect your daily life at home as well as what they might do to help out when necessary. You should discuss things like: who will be picking up groceries or cooking meals; whether there are any financial concerns that need attention now or later on down the road; if anyone is able-bodied enough to take over running errands for a while, etc. Make sure everyone understands what you would want in terms of end-of-life care from hospice providers so no one feels guilty following through on those wishes!
Step 3: Write a legal will
A will allows you to select the individuals who will receive what you own when you die. Virtually every person— married, divorced, single, childless, parent, in good health, in bad health— should have a will for the simple reason that without one, you cannot determine who should receive your property. Each state has a default plan for how property must be distributed if you die without a will, with the default (and mandatory) scheme depending on your marital status, whether you have children or parents.
If you create a will, the property is distributed according to your wishes rather than default rules. Whether or not you have children and how well-off they are can affect who receives property when death occurs without a will (known as “intestate”). Family members may receive nothing if there isn’t enough property available in intestacy.
Step 4: Consider End-of-Life Care
End-of-life care is centered on quality of life. Hospice care—which encompasses physical, emotional, and spiritual needs—may take place at home or at a nursing home, assisted living center, or hospice residence. When a cure is not possible and aggressive treatment isn’t desired, hospice care offers symptom relief, pain control, and a great deal of support.
The hospice team works with the patient to develop a personal plan of care. Family members may be invited to help in many ways such as by assisting with daily tasks like feeding and bathing! Talk with your hospice team about the kinds of services you will need – and don’t forget to consider the funeral and the bereavement process for your family and closest friends.
Step 5: Leave videos behind for your loved ones
You may be considering leaving behind a digital legacy of love and support. P.S. I’m With You is enabling individuals worldwide to record personalized digital video legacies in minutes from any computer or mobile device!
These videos are designed to be shared via email, messaging, or sent to their social media. P.S. I’m With You is especially helpful when you’ve got important information that needs to get out there – like goodbye messages, personal stories, the story of your illness and how it changed you for the better! Your family members will appreciate being able to see your face on screen while they listen through their earphones about what’s most meaningful in life—and that includes YOU.
Phew! This was a long blog post but hopefully all this advice has helped make things easier for both you and your loved ones who may have questions once you pass away from terminal illnesses.
