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Theme Task Questions to Consider Awareness Acknowledge personal and cultural perspectives. What underlying assumptions about life and death do we bring to our encounters with patients? Recognition Understand patient and family perspectives. What underlying assumptions about death do our patients and their families bring? How do they want to lead their lives before that event? Engagement Develop a repertoire of communicative approaches. How is it that we best engage patients in jointly considering the topic? Synchronicity Practice “sharing” the topic with patients at appropriate moments. When is it time to talk about death? When is it time to listen? Equilibrium Seek balance by recognizing reality and uncovering hope. How can we, along with our patients, move toward conceptualizing death as a normal process in a full life?
