Clear Wishes is more than just an informational website and helpful blog. “CLEAR WISHES” is also the acronym to help people remember how to begin the important discussion regarding end-of-life issues. So let’s get started.

First, let’s be Clear.

C stands for Conversation. Get it started. Discuss these issues when everyone is healthy and mentally well. This sounds obvious. But it only takes one illness to render this communication impossible.

L stands for Loved Ones. They are the folks to have the conversations with.

E stands for the scary topic: End-of-Life wishes, choices and desires.

A stands for Advise. Once your have determined your wishes, it’s important to state them clearly to your family.

R stands for Respect the wishes. And this is often hard for the family. No one wants to let go. But during a critical period, the family must defer to their loved ones requests.

So now we get to the Wishes.

W stands for Writing it all down. Yes, it’s time to get the wills, the powers of attorneys, the advanced directives, medical power of attorneys, all of it.

I stands for Information. Get it. There is so much information regarding your choices as the natural end-of-life approaches. What is palliative care?  What is hospice care?

S stands for Speak your choices. Make your wishes abundantly clear to your family.

H stands for Honor. Just like respect, family members must honor their loved ones’ wishes. This is very, very hard to do many times. But we have to remember it is the wishes of the loved one, and not we survivors, that matter at this time.

E stands for a big subject: ethics. End-of-life issues are fraught with ethical determinations. Read up on the subject. Understand that life can be sustained for nearly any length in nearly any condition. But should it? And who makes that decision?

S stands for Sharing. Share your words in writing, in conversation, with your family, with your friends, with your colleagues. Sharing arms you with the clear knowledge of what your loved one wants, or doesn’t want, even if they have become unable to speak for themselves.

Without exception, no one wants to discuss the issues of death and dying. But there will come a time in every single life when that discussion has to happen. Trust me, it will be much, much easier if you have talked about it long before you needed to.

My name is Dorothy. In the last eight years I have lost nine elderly relatives, following long and difficult illnesses, and each loss has been a heartbreaking ordeal. Due to our ages, many of my friends have experienced these losses also. We have found that we all have much in common. But perhaps nothing more so than the overall, overwhelming, abject lack of information we needed to help make these passings tolerable, to our loved ones and to ourselves. This site is dedicated to disseminating vital information regarding end-of-life issues and choices. This site does not have an agenda. Its purpose is informational only.

Blessings from Clear Wishes.