Nearly 90% of People Know Discussing End-of-Life is Important, But More Than Half Haven't Started the Conversation

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Dec 04, 2024, 06:32 ET

Afterall, the digital platform for end-of-life planning, offers guidance for those trying to navigate tough conversations

WINTER PARK, Fla., Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent study commissioned by Afterall, a digital platform designed to simplify end-of-life planning, highlights a significant gap between awareness and action when it comes to talking about final plans and wishes. While 90% of respondents recognize the importance of discussing end-of-life plans with loved ones, over half have yet to initiate these challenging conversations. Acknowledging the critical need for these discussions, Afterall is committed to breaking down barriers and guiding individuals through the process, no matter where they are on their journey.

Afterall is a digital end-of-life platform integrated with more than 250 local funeral service providers to guide people through the end-of-life experience with educational resources, simple planning tools, free obituary services, and a memorial store. With Afterall, instead of endless online searches and phone calls to compare funeral providers, families can visit one site to find a local home they trust, coupled with the guidance they need.

How Do People Really Feel About Discussing Death with Their Loved Ones?

Afterall partnered with Talker Research to survey 2,000 general population Americans to dig into how people really feel about discussing death with those closest to them.

The findings highlighted the challenges and obstacles people face when approaching end-of-life planning with their loved ones:

Having the Conversation is Tough

It's most challenging to have the conversation with your parents: Only 36% of people shared that they had no problem discussing end-of-life plans with those they love. And more than half (56%), whether they're afraid to or just don't think it's necessary, haven't even broached the conversation with their parents
People don't know how to discuss the inevitable: Respondents admitted they just keep putting it off (26%), don't know how to talk about it (23%) or were simply scared to have the conversation (16%)
In-person is preferred: More than 50% of people would ideally like to have end-of-life planning conversations in-person and one-on-one; with so many people living apart from loved ones, it makes having that conversation even harder

"End-of-life planning is one of the most important and meaningful gifts we can give to our loved ones, but it's an incredibly hard topic to broach," said Lee Senderov, chief marketing and digital officer at Afterall. "Our goal at Afterall is to make every step of the process easier - whether it's just the first conversation or a loved one has already passed. We want to equip people with a wealth of tools and information to meet them where they are at, no matter where they are in the process."

How Can We Make the Conversation Easier?

To help people navigate and feel confident engaging in end-of-life planning conversations, Afterall partnered with Julie McFadden, RN. Julie is the New York Times Best Selling author of the book "Nothing to Fear: Demystifying Death to Live More Fully," and the face of trending TikTok channel @HospiceNurseJulie where she shares first-hand stories of time spent as a hospice care nurse. From her vast experience working with thousands of patients and their families as they navigate these challenging times, Julie is an expert in navigating the tough topics around end-of-life.

Julie shares important advice for how to have the hard conversations with friends and family when it comes to how we want our final days to look.

"After spending many years in the ICU and hospice where I faced death nearly daily, I've seen how critical it is for families to discuss end-of-life topics sooner rather than later," said Julie McFadden, RN. "These conversations can be hard, and messy and we might not do them "perfect" and that's okay. Just by starting the conversation, you let your loved ones know that you are open for the conversation when they are."

For more advice from Julie, an additional article about starting the end-of-life conversation, and links to a myriad of other end-of-life guidance visit afterall.com/thetalk.

Survey Methodology

This survey of 2,000 general population Americans was commissioned by Afterall in partnership with Talker Research in November 2024.

About Afterall 
Afterall is a digital platform helping families to find the right funeral services for their individual needs. Developed by Foundation Partners Group in 2024, Afterall brings together local funeral homes, cemeteries and direct-to-consumer cremation providers, along with tools and resources to make the end-of-life experience as easy as possible. Visit www.afterall.com to learn more.

Media Contact:
Kristin Wooten
[email protected]
404-680-2524

SOURCE Foundation Partners Group