With a life-limiting illness you will need to talk to family and health professionals

It is important that your voice is heard. Being able to communicate well will help. There will be different people to communicate with. Some of the information here may help to make this easier. When you are seriously ill, there will be many things that need to be discussed. Some of these discussions may be difficult and emotional.

Your family and friends will be concerned about what is happening. They may have a lot of questions and concerns. It is helpful to think about how to manage these conversations. How do you want to share your information and who with? The people you are important to will also have their needs to share with you. You may not know how to talk to people about what is happening. There are health professionals who can support you with this.

Consider choosing someone in the family to talk to everyone. Setting up a telephone tree may help. This is where each person contacts someone else. This shares the time involved in keeping everybody up to date. It also means that not everyone is calling you or your health professionals for an update.

Talking is not the only way we communicate. Sometimes sitting quietly together can be enough.

Starting the conversation about death and dying

CareSearch Video Starting the conversation about death and dying - Judith Leeson

Last updated 14 January 2021