Nobody Gets Out of This Life Alive

Nobody Gets Out of This Life Alive

Look around, people are everywhere . Do you see anyone dying? Probably not. We are remotely aware of family members or friends who have died. Death tolls have been announced in the news every day for the past two years and yet, most people have not considered the finality of their own lives. There are may reasons for this. We are busy living our lives. People are generally living longer because of medical advancements that extend life and we celebrates survivors. The fact that you have not considered your own death is not your fault. Death is not near to us. Most deaths occur in hospitals not in the home therefore most of us have not witnessed a death in person. Even though you may not have considered the finality of your own life because you are busy living it, the fact remains that nobody gets out of this life alive. 

Unwanted Treatment

Why do I say that most people have not considered the finality of their lives? Because the data shows that most Americans accept end-of-life care that is inconsistent with their stated wishes. Perhaps this can be because as a research article published in Health Affairs points out, approximately one in three US adults completes any type of AdvanceDirective for End-of-Life Care. This lack of planning and communication leads to another fact that studies have shown: Approximately 80% of Americans would prefer to die at home if possible. Despite this, 60% of Americans die acute care hospitals, 20% in nursing homes and only 20% at home. By putting off getting clear on our values and wishes regarding end-of-life care and making those wishes known, we end up receiving unwanted and burdensome treatment.

Take Action

What can you do to live and die on your terms and avoid unnecessary suffering and unwanted treatments? I say, get clear on your values, create your vision for living. Armed with the knowledge that nobody gets out of this life alive, make a plan and put it in writing. Appoint a decision maker should you be in a condition where you cannot speak for yourself. Communicate your plan to your appointed decision maker and loved ones You will start with the end in mind therefore you will be creating a plan to live your life to the end on your terms. 

  “The idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing else; it is a mainspring of human activity – activity designed largely to avoid the fatality of death, to overcome it by denying in some way that it is the final destiny of man.”

-Ernest Becker