As a research assistant with the Gerontology Research Centre under Dr. Gloria Gutman, our study aims to discern how majority and certain minority groups are coping with COVID-19 and its related effects. While the COVID-19 pandemic has essentially put everyone “in the same storm”, not everyone is in “the same boat”. Evidence shows older adults are at the greatest risk of developing severe complications and have the highest death rates from contracting this virus. Over the course of my time spent working on this study, and with the ongoing pandemic, I have spent more time than usual thinking about end-of-life care for my grandma, parents, and even myself. With COVID-19 cases starting to upsurge again, I want to ensure I am prepared for any scenario and in making decisions I previously might not have been comfortable making.

In the unfortunate scenario where you or a loved one became critically ill, there could be certain wishes you might have for the medical care you would like to (or not like to) receive. Thinking about and writing down your requests for future health care treatment, in an event you become incapable of deciding for yourself, is called advance care planning. It is worthwhile discussing beforehand to avoid burdening family members and to ensure your wishes and values are fulfilled in the time of need. These wishes may include information on where you would like to receive care (e.g. home or in a hospital), who you would want nearby at the end of life (e.g. children, religious leader, etc.), and what kind of treatments would you agree or refuse to undergo. Without proper advance care plans in place, family members could have contradicting opinions – leading to undesired care, for example: being on a ventilator for longer than you would have wanted. Talking about death begins to normalize these discussions and makes the process easier for all those involved.

It’s definitely not easy to talk about end-of-life issues, or to even think about them. When speaking to my parents who are in their fifties, they display a sense of hesitation and seem to believe that talking about death would bring them closer to it. A useful guide that has facilitated this conversation between my parents and I, is the conversation project  which has a free-printable ‘starter kit’ to ease into this topic. You can also complete advance directives, which are legal documents letting you make preferences on health care treatments, such as life support or life-prolonging interventions, directly to a health care provider.

This conversation is tremendously valuable to have, now more important than ever due to the global pandemic we are all experiencing. While COVID-19 poses the greatest threat to older adults, all ages have become causalities to this virus too. Having a conversation with grandparents or parents now could be useful to adequately prepare for what the future has in store. COVID-19 has emphasized the unpredictability of life, hence developing advance care plans could only be helpful.