This is The Talk nobody talks about.

You already know about the talk about sex and the one about drugs and the one about planning for college, retirement, and your last will and testament. But what about The Talk that helps you and the people you love navigate a confusing and overwhelming medical event like a heart attack or stroke, cancer, a chronic illness like diabetes or Parkinson’s, or a gradual decline in health and independence that requires the assistance from someone you love?

The Have You Had the Talk™ Campaign urges all adults to consider and choose the care they want if they ever need to rely on someone else for their medical care and decision making. The best time to plan and prepare is when there is no emergency, no crisis, no scrambling.

The Talk is a gift to anyone who needs to know what you want when you can no longer speak for yourself. And it is a gift of peace of mind to you. Hospice of Michigan has produced this website with resources and stories to get the conversation started. To help you have the talk, we’ve developed a Toolkit, which you can order by clicking on the Toolkit button at the bottom of this page.

Other campaign elements include: radio, television, and the premiere of a very special documentary called “Except for Six,” produced to shine light on end-of-life care.

Don’t change the subject! Have the talk!

This website is designed to help you have these conversations. Please let us know what you think. Send an email to Tracey Pierce or submit comments in our watch/listen section.

Hospice of Michigan is most grateful for the generous gift given by The Great Lakes Chapter of the Links, Inc. to help support this website.