Start an End-Of-Life Conversation With the Go Wish Game

As a funeral director, how often do you hear families say, “If only I had known…” or “I wish I had thought to ask…?” So often the death of a loved one catches us off-guard, even if it was expected. We feel like we’ve left things unresolved, questions unasked, and personal thoughts and wishes unknown. There’s also doubt as to the way we handled things; is this really what he or she would have wanted?
The Coda Alliance wants to change that. Named for the musical coda, a note that signals the end of a piece of music, the Coda Alliance “partners with families, health and religious professionals, communities, hospitals, universities, hospices, elder care facilities, and global partner organizations to make end-of-life conversations a natural part of life.” A non-profit launched in 1999 as The Community Coalition for End of Life Care, Coda Alliance today provides a number of resources to help facilitate conversations about goals and healthcare.
Go Wish playing cardsOne of the most popular resources offered by Coda is the Go Wish card game. Available in 10 languages, each deck consists of 36 cards that are just slightly larger than a business card. Printed in a large eyesight-friendly font on 35 of the cards are phrases like the following:
- “To take care of unfinished business with family and friends”
- “To be free from pain”
- “Not dying alone”
- “To say goodbye to important people in my life”
- “To prevent arguments by making sure my family knows what I want”
- “Not being a burden on my family”
- “To have a nurse I feel comfortable with”
Ready player two
Playing the Go Wish cards don’t have to be a solitary exercise, though. The Coda Alliance suggests a two-player version of the game, where the individual preparing for end of life makes their selections while a loved one makes selections of what they think the other will prioritize. When both have selected their top 10, they compare and discuss similarities, differences, and implications.A conversation — not a list — is the true goal of the Go Wish game. The Coda Alliance has started these conversations using the cards with church groups, assisted living facilities, senior centers, and health education classes, and has worked with social workers, healthcare professionals, and families to show them how to use the cards. Although the website doesn’t specifically list death care professionals as a group with whom they’ve worked with, it seems that having a deck of Go Wish cards on hand for individuals who are working through the preneed process would be a great option.Go Wish decks are sold two for $26, four for $44, or at bulk rates for larger orders. There’s also a free online version of the game that allows you to save and print your final card placements.Source: www.connectingdirectors.com