“How do doctors break the news to a patient or their families that the patient is dying without seeming like they’re simply giving up hope?” 

Though everyone is going to die, most of us have not considered what that will look like or when it will be. This is the case even for many patients receiving care for serious conditions.

In most instances, for patients or their families, the realistic possibility of dying of a particular injury or disease is not a conversation they’re eager to initiate with a medical professional. This means that most medical professionals are forced to bring up the subject as carefully as possible. Broaching the subject without seeming like one is throwing in the towel is one of the most difficult conversations a doctor can initiate. It can be a balancing act in which not only is a dialogue about death is brought up, but from figuring out how to do so from a place of practical planning and care. 

Unfortunately, because most medical professionals are highly specialized in their field and not end of life care specifically, this means often means they need to call in the help of a hospice or palliative care professional. In the meantime, bringing up preparations for death with a patient or their families occurs in a few different ways using careful language.

When Dying Needs to Be Discussed Quickly

A conversation about dying usually comes about following or during a major health episode. These episodes can range from someone being admitted to a hospital with severe symptoms, their condition has suddenly deteriorated, or their condition has not improved and efforts to treat their disease have not had positive results. In these quicker instances, discussing the likelihood of not surviving can come as more of a shock to patients or their families because dying sooner rather than later simply wasn’t part of their plan. 

When death may be more imminent than originally thought, doctors must move fast if any care is to be administered that, though may not extend their life, will improve the quality of however much time they have left. Failure to initiate a conversation about death and the possibility of receiving hospice care or other palliative efforts can result in continued treatment that will only worsen the quality of the patient’s last days. When this is the case, discussing hospice care as soon as possible helps to preserve the patient’s quality of life for as long as possible.

When Dying is Brought Up Long Before It Occurs

There are other medical situations in which broaching the subject of the possibility of hospice care months or even years in advance is helpful for a patient with a terminal condition. While this initially seems like a gloomy forecast of their condition, it can actually be very helpful and reassuring for patients and their families to know that, no matter what happens, there is always a plan to preserve their patient’s quality of life as long as possible. 

Though it can seem scary or a sign of defeat for a medical professional to bring up the possibility of dying or hospice care, families should understand that doing so is simply a medical professional’s way of making sure their patient receives the absolute best care available—no matter what. 

Professional Hospice Care in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Speaking of receiving the absolute best care, if you or a loved one will need or are in need of professional hospice care, look no further than Cura HPC Hospice & Palliative Care.