When you have a loved one who is in a hospice care facility in Southern Indiana, most likely you try to be careful with the things you say. You are not sure of the mindset he is in, and you do not want to rattle him needlessly.

But the truth is the things you think will scare your loved one are actually good for him to hear. Listed below are some things you might think are inappropriate to talk about with your dying loved one, but are really okay to discuss.

Illness

People often think that talking about a dying person’s illness is wrong because the last thing that person would want to talk about is what is killing him. The truth, however, is that it is perfectly fine to discuss a dying person’s illness with him. Most dying people would actually like to talk about the state they are in.

About other things

Maybe the impending death of your loved one is already too heavy for you so you want to change the topic to get your mind off it for a while. But once you think about discussing politics or sports with your loved one, you suddenly feel guilty. You feel guilty because he might think that you are not taking his illness seriously.

If that is the case, do not feel guilty. Your loved one does not mind if you want to talk about something else. In fact, he might be interested to know about his favorite baseball team and how they are doing in the playoffs.

You have to take into consideration that a dying person does not always want to focus on his situation. He also wants to live his life as normally as possible before he kicks the bucket. So, if your loved one’s favorite baseball team is the Indianapolis Indians and you have news about them, talk to him about it.

Death

Some people are hesitant about choosing this topic when talking to a dying person because they feel that talking about it would scare or upset him. Some even avoid talking about this thinking that by doing so, it might speed up the process and lead the person to a quicker death.

But, discussing the impending death with a dying person can be helpful if done right. If you ask your loved one if it is okay for him to talk about dying, you might be able to help him make peace with his situation.

Some people still have trouble dealing with their impending death. But talking about it can help them feel less scared about what’s to come. It could even give them the chance to say the things they have been holding back from saying, like a much-deserved apology to a relative or friend.

As long as you broach the topic gently (ask permission), it would be all right to discuss death with a dying person. You might even lighten the mood if both of you find something funny to talk about dying.