Planning Ahead
Life and Death Education
Birth, aging, illness and death are inevitable stages of life. While death is often regarded as the final stop of a life journey, it may also be viewed as a graduation ceremony of life, as well as our life coach. If we view death from a positive perspective, we can better prepare for it for the benefit of ourselves and our families. Life and Death Education aims at breaking the taboo surrounding death, helping people to view death under a positive light and learn about end-of-life preparation such as will making, funeral preparation and advance care planning.
Will
A will is a legal document which ensures one's assets are distributed according to his/her wish. This could minimize potential disputes among family members and inheritors. It is advisable to consult a solicitor for will-making. In the absence of a will, the assets of the deceased will be distributed in accordance with relevant laws of Hong Kong.
Funeral and Burial
It is advisable to plan for our own funeral arrangement and share it with family members. Not only can this make the process smoother, it can also give family members peace of mind.
There are different types of burial including coffin burial, cremation and green burial. Green burial involves scattering of cremains in gardens of remembrance or into the sea. Members of the public are now encouraged to adopt environmentally-friendly means of burial to protect the nature. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has set up the Green Burial Central Register to enable the public to register their wish for Green Burial.
Organ and Body Donations
It is possible to donate our organs to those with medical needs, or to contribute our body to universities for education purpose. If you desire to participate in organ donation and/or body donation programmes, register with the relevant organizations and share your wishes with family members in advance.
Advance Care Planning
"Dying peacefully" is one of the five fortunes from a well-known Chinese idiom - "Five good fortunes at the door". It means having no worries and leaving peacefully when we reach the last stage of life. Thus, dying in peace is considered to be a great blessing of life. Advance Care Planning aims at maintaining one's quality of life up till the end and ending our life with dignity.
Advance Care Planning emphasizes the communication process among the patient, medical professionals and family members. It facilitates understanding of the patient's care preferences for end-of-life care, e.g. making Advance Directive, arranging where and from whom to receive care, and making choices of medical care etc. Patients can designate a Health Care Proxy who can make health care decisions on their behalf when they are incapable of expressing their wish.
Enduring Power of Attorney
Enduring power of attorney is a legal instrument which allows its donor (i.e. the person who wishes to give his/her power of attorney to someone), while he/she is still mentally capable, to appoint attorney(s) to take care of the donor's financial matters in the event that he/she subsequently becomes mentally incapacitated. Please consult a solicitor for details.
Passing on Life
When we are aware that life is finite, we learn the importance of cherishing our life and loving the people around us. We can live our life to the fullest and pass our regards and life wisdom on to our beloveds.
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Communication with family and friends |
Treasure the moment together. Express gratitude, forgiveness, apology, love and bid farewell to family and friends |
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Reconciliation |
Reconcile with people you had disputes with and mend relationships |
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Passing on wisdom of life |
Pass on wisdom of life, personal experiences and practical skills |
Eight Strategies for Talking about Life and Death
Even if we have a thorough plan, it could not be implemented fully if we have not shared it with our family members. Strategies for talking about life and death with family are suggested below:
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Choose appropriate time and place |
Explore the topic at an appropriate time and place, e.g. express your own wish on funeral arrangement after ancestor worship. |
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Change concept |
View death from another perspective. Bring out that death is no longer the enemy of life but a part of life and the end of life’s journey. |
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Be flexible |
Be open-minded in revisiting the topic of death, especially after experiencing some special circumstances, e.g. death and dying or illness. Family members may change their way of thinking due to these events. |
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Respect each other |
Share and respect each other’s views, including religious beliefs and life values. |
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Accept feelings |
Accept feelings about death, e.g. grief, not letting go and distress. |
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Explore gradually |
It may take time for family members to gather their sentiments and accept their feelings on death. We should let them explore and express themselves at their own pace. |
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Involve the whole family |
Involve the whole family in the discussion as death is not a one-person issue. |
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Listen patiently |
Listen carefully as family members may not express themselves directly. Be aware of their underlying meanings. |
Community Resources
Will and assets aspect:
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Home Affairs Department |
Estate Beneficiaries Support
Services |
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Department of Justice |
Enduring Powers of Attorney |
Funeral and burial aspect:
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Food and Environmental Hygiene Department |
Website: http://www.fehd.gov.hk/english/index.html |
Organ and body donation aspect:
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Department of Health – Organ Donation |
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The University of Hong Kong School of Biomedical Science Body Donation Programme |
Website: https://www.med.hku.hk/bdp/index-e.html |
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CUHK Body Donation Programme |
Website: http://www.sbs.cuhk.edu.hk/bd/ |
Advance care planning aspect:
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Hospital Authority |
Website: https://www.ha.org.hk/haho/ho/psrm/Public_education2.pdf |
Other related resources:
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Name of Organization |
Service and contact |
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Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care |
Promote palliative care, provide bereavement support services, advocate and educate the community to discuss about death under a positive light Website: https://www.hospicecare.org.hk/?lang=en |
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Jockey Club End-of-life Community Care Project |
Improve the quality of end-of-life care, enhance the capacity of service providers, as well as organize public education activities
Website: http://foss.hku.hk/jcecc/en/ |
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The Comfort Care Concern Group |
Support patients in end-of-life stage and provide bereavement support to family members Website: https://www.cccg.org.hk
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