OPINION — Most families enter end-of-life situations with deep love and good intentions, but very little understanding of what the dying process actually looks like.
An international cohort study from the iLIVE Project (EU Horizon 2020, Meier et al.) found that low end-of-life preparedness is associated with significantly greater emotional suffering among patients and caregivers. I saw this clearly while caring for my grandmother through her final months, and I have seen it repeatedly in my work with families since then.
The dying process is universal, yet most people are never taught what to expect.
