Table 6.
Dignity Talk guidelines and questions.
| [Side 1 of laminated card] Dignity is so much about feeling appreciated and understood for who you are as a person and what you feel is or has been important in your life. Dignity Talk will give you a chance to talk about these things, to put into words how you feel about them and for someone to hear what you have to say. Dignity Talk is a list of special questions that are meant to open up conversations. Some questions may have more meaning than others and some may feel more emotional than others. Please talk about as many or as few of these questions as you like. Some conversations you may choose to have; others you may decide to skip altogether. There are no right or wrong answers. The questions do not need to be talked about in any particular order. It is also perfectly fine if the conversation becomes extended or moves into a different direction entirely. Please pace yourselves; take breaks when you need to. The time you take to do Dignity Talk is meant to be flexible. You may choose to answer most questions in a single sitting OR you might decide on shorter and more frequent sessions spread over more time. These conversations are meant to provide you with comfort. If they feel too demanding, it is okay to move onto another question or set these questions aside. Some conversations may feel easier than others. Just because a conversation might be emotional or difficult does not necessarily mean that it should be avoided. You know each other best. Where you choose to take conversations and what areas you choose to avoid is best left up to both of you. Either of you may decide to stop a conversation if you find yourself unable or not wanting to proceed. What you do with the information that comes out of Dignity Talk is also very personal. We hope that the conversations and the memory of the conversations will be of benefit to you. Should you have any questions, encounter any challenges, want to talk to a counselor, or just want some further help with Dignity Talk, please speak with your healthcare providers. | |
| [Flip side of laminated card] | |
| MEMORIES | Looking back on life, are there particular memories or moments we might want to talk about? |
| THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF | Are there things about yourself that you want us to talk about? |
| SPECIAL ROLES | Are there special or important roles in your life that you would like to talk about? (What made those roles special? Which of those roles made you feel proud?) |
| WHAT YOU MEAN TO ME | Would you like to talk about what we mean or have meant to each other? |
| REGRETS | Would you like to talk about any regrets? |
| FORGIVENESS | What about forgiveness? Are there things you want to forgive, or be forgiven for? |
| GRATITUDE | Would you like to talk about things we feel grateful for? |
| HOPES AND DREAMS | Would you like us to talk about hopes and dreams for people who are important to us? (Family, friend, others?) |
| WHAT WE’VE LEARNED | Would you like to talk about the things life has taught us, or perhaps what we have taught one another? |
| ADVICE | Are there words of advice you might like to share with special people in our lives? (Family, friend others?) |
| MORE TO DISCUSS | Are there things that we still want or need to discuss with each other? |
| MORE TO BE SAID | Are there things we still want or need to say to each other? |