Family Communication at the End of Life

Abstract

Communication at end-of-life remains a stigmatized and taboo topic among families. Despite evidence indicating open communication and engagement among family members in the end-of-life process, people still struggle to communicate in this taboo topic. This chapter will review the literature of end-of-life communication among families, including theoretical approaches, challenges and barriers to open end-of-life communication and advance care planning, and depictions of end-of-life in entertainment media. Opportunities to overcome the taboo nature of communicating about death and dying by using media entertainment, specifically film and television, as a conversational platform to launch discussion aimed at overcoming the stigma surrounding death and dying are provided.