Participation in the end of life for an aging parent comes with obligations. Teamwork, coordination, and cooperation can all help smooth the emotional journey, especially when family disagreement seems imminent. Families who cannot agree on the care to provide for their loved ones can end up causing more pain for the person they are trying to comfort and protect. The most common disagreement stems from a family member who competes to prove who cares the most, which can often lead to the suggestion of overly aggressive treatments. The squabble over the decision-making can result in issues that prolong some aspect of the dying process to the detriment of the dying. Aids like Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLSTs) can help families come to an agreement in the implementation for care of their loved ones.
See Samuel Harrington, A United Family Can Make All the Difference When Someone Is Dying, Washington Post, November 20, 2016.
