The 'death talk': Why it's important for families to talk about death

In the midst of grieving a parent's death, you might also have to plan the memorial, end monthly magazine subscriptions and notify others of their death. — Dreamtime/TNS

Amy Pickard wants you to talk about death. Specially, she wants you to make your healthcare planning and end-of-life arrangements known to your loved ones.

She knows that talking about death is going to make most people squirm. But the Southern Californian, who runs the end-of-life consulting company Good to Go!, says an awkward but respectful conversation now lessens the grief of a loss when the inevitable happens and allows people to honour a deceased loved one's wishes.