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Should People Living With a Terminal Illness Create a Bucket List?
It may be beneficial for someone living with a terminal illness to create a bucket list or a wish list of things they hope to achieve before they die. These […]
It may be beneficial for someone living with a terminal illness to create a bucket list or a wish list of things they hope to achieve before they die. These goals can be simple, random, or grand ideas: take a trip, stay in a luxurious hotel, visit a special place, try something daring, renew wedding vows, learn something new, see a live concert, attend a sports match, or reconnect with someone special. The ideas are as endless as one’s imagination. Simply writing them down may spur a sense of pleasure whether any of them are attainable or not.
Current research based on open-ended questionnaires completed by terminally ill patients revealed some common themes for wish lists. Immediate goals included taking care of final matters, regaining health, and dying comfortably. But the majority of wishes were more personal, and related to travel, activities, or spending time with family. These results are nearly identical to those gathered from a similar study conducted by Stanford University in 2018. Both studies suggest that asking patients to share an end-of-life bucket list would be an ideal framework for more person-centered care by physicians.
The idea of creating a bucket list was catapulted into the spotlight with the release of the film, The Bucket List, in 2007. The movie stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Both are terminally ill and leave the hospital together on a journey to check off their lists of life goals.
Although Nicholson’s character was well-off enough to pay for their excursions, not everyone has the financial ability to make a special dream come true. Fortunately, many Make-A-Wish Style Programs exist that help terminally ill adult patients achieve one special item on their bucket list. These non-profit organizations provide funds and help coordinate the activity the person desires. In some cases, they will incorporate family members in the wish as well, allowing the dying person to spend time creating new memories while doing something enjoyable.
Sources
“What are the personal last wishes of people with a life-limiting illness? Findings from a longitudinal observational study in specialist palliative care.” BMC Palliative Care. https://bmcpalliatcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12904-022-00928-1
