Conversations about the care we receive at the end of life are never easy.

Having these important conversations is the only way we can effectively make a plan for what we want our care to look like should we not be able to advocate for our own health care decisions. The same goes for helping our loved ones make their plans.

Today is National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), celebrated every year on April 16. NHDD serves as an important reminder about the important of advance care planning.

This year’s theme is ‘talk about it.’ The best way to prepare for difficult conversations about end of life care, for ourselves or our loved ones, is to start by talking about what is most important to you if you were to experience something like a medical emergency or serious illness.

Talking about your goals and values, and what is most important to you in your life, and when it comes to your care, is also a great way to inspire others to do the same.

After all, as Benjamin Franklin is credited for saying, “[i]n this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” Now that tax season is over, here is your annual reminder to review your own plans, help your loved ones do the same, or get inspired by this year’s NHDD theme and start talking about it!

Visit The Conversation Project for information and resources on how to have these difficult conversations, and the Vermont Ethics Network for the forms necessary for Advance Care Planning.