Death. It's the one thing we can count on and the one thing we'd like to avoid. So we try not to think about it, talk about it or plan for it.

As a result, difficult conversations go unspoken and last wishes go unknown - further complicating the emotional, stressful, and heartbreaking process of death. 

In this inaugural series of the podcast, we're focusing on the critical issues we all face at some point in our lives, either personally or on behalf of a loved one.  We're calling the series "What to Know Before You Go" in an effort to make a daunting subject more approachable. Each week in April, we will discuss topics designed to help us feel more comfortable and confident in facing the future.

This week, we lean into Denise's years of experience as an end-of-life social worker. In this episode, she shares everything we need to know about advance directives and the importance of not only documenting our medical preferences but also discussing them with family and healthcare professionals. It's an episode designed to empower us to do hard things and have tough conversations - knowing these are gifts we share with those we love. And it's an episode you don't want to miss.

Show Notes:
To print off a copy of an advance directive for completion:
https://missourilawyershelp.org/legal-topics/durable-power-of-attorney-for-health/

To access the Five Wishes form referenced, go to:
https://www.fivewishes.org/for-myself/

For resources on how to have caring conversations about the end of life:
https://www.practicalbioethics.org/featured-resources/caring-conversations/

To order the Go Wish cards Denise discussed in the episode, go to:
https://codaalliance.org/go-wish/