"The Conversation Project® is a public engagement initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) [that] offers free tools, guidance, and resources to begin talking with those who matter most about your and their wishes." These are excellent resources that can be used to guide conversations or be provided for independent completion by patients and/or their loved ones to help facilitate the decision-making process.

Key Features:

• Free guides for patients and their loved ones. Available in English, Spanish, and Chinese, as well as English Audio.

  • • • Email conversationproject@ihi.org for translations into additional languages.

• Website includes a Resources for Healthcare Professionals page. 

• Use the A Conversation Ready Toolkit for Clinicians to improve your readiness and address challenges to engaging in end-of-life conversations with patients and their loved ones (free with IHI account set up; $10 without).

Bottom Line: Easy-to-read fillable conversation guides that address a variety of care planning needs for patients (both adults and children), loved ones, and clinicians.

(excerpt from TheConversationProject.org)

"Five Wishes is more than a workbook that becomes a legal advance directive when completed. It is a comprehensive, person-centered advance care planning program that offers a proven, easy-to-use approach to having effective and compassionate conversations." Covers personal, spiritual, medical, and legal wishes.

Key Features:

• Available in 30 languages, in both digital and paper formats.

• Designed for a broad range of users: adults, children, adolescents/young adults, healthcare providers, businesses, and communities.

• An advanced directive that meets the legal requirements of most U.S. states. Check Five Wishes in My State to verify yours.

Bottom Line: "An easy-to-use legal document written in easy to understand terms."

(excerpts from FiveWishes.org)

GoWish is an interactive way to facilitate conversations around one's wishes for the end of life. Decks are comprised of 36 cards, each with its own unique wishes or activities. "By sorting cards into important stacks and then ranking the top 10, plus adding your own input with a wild card, you determine what wishes are most important to you."

Key Features:

• Available in 10 languages, in both physical or online formats. (GoWish Online limited to English and Spanish.)

• Developed and reviewed by multidisciplinary end-of-life specialists.

• Simple, non-threatening, and familiar format.

Bottom Line: Facilitates conversations around what's important to us at the end of life. A flexible and educational card game that can be played with others.

(excerpt from CodaAlliance.org)

"The E•O•L (End of Life) Deck is a tool used by families, caregivers, and healthcare providers to help facilitate conversations about end-of-life wishes. With a casual tone, multiple-choice and open-ended questions, the E•O•L Deck makes starting conversations about what matters most a little easier."

Key Features:

• Tailor the 52-card deck to address individual needs or concerns of patients/loved ones.

  • • • Size of standard card deck.

• Alternate version, The Death Deck, also available for $29.95. 112-card deck designed for use as a casual card game by friends and family. 

  • • • Ages 13+, 2-10 players, 30-90 minutes.

Bottom Line: "The E•O•L Deck is a tool for professionals working with hospice, palliative care, and aging populations to explore end-of-life preferences."

(excerpts from TheDeathDeck.com)

Built on the premise that "the dinner table is the most forgiving place for difficult conversation," Death Over Dinner provides "a simple set of tools" to help people face the reality of our mortality, to reduce the suffering associated with poorly communicated last wishes, and to build greater comfort and literacy around end-of-life conversations. Invitations are personalized using a series of questions through the Death Over Dinner online portal.

Key Features:

• Healthcare Edition designed to provide a supportive environment for healthcare professionals to consider our roles in assisting patients with living full lives with serious illness, as well as a space to reflect on our own wishes.

  • • • Post-dinner survey available.

• Available in 4 different editions.

Bottom Line: Brings together chosen, important people to share a meal and broach an often hard-to-discuss topic. 

(excerpt from DeathOverDinner.org)

Kitchen Table Conversations provides free registry to webinars and training for end of life planning, advance care planning, and grief education. In-person training and workshops are available to Texas residents (and those willing to travel). These resources are beneficial for any healthcare provider seeking to develop their skills and understand the patient/family perspective.

Key Features:

• Educational video library that addresses a range of needs.

• Free webinars for end of life planning, advance care planning, and grief education.

Bottom Line: Free webinars and training designed to educate and empower. Appropriate for providers from any setting.

"At a Death Cafe people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death. Our objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives'. A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes... that does not attempt to "[lead] people to any conclusion, product or course of action."

Key Features:

• Not-for-profit social franchise. Confidential. Accessible.

• Can search for local Death Cafes or host your own.

Bottom Line: Safe, casual space to discuss death with others. Social activity untethered from profession/practice.

(excerpts from DeathCafe.com)