Value, Beliefs & Values

End-of-Life Planning is not simply about arranging legal matters or making healthcare decisions, it is also deeply influenced by an individual’s values and beliefs as well as what they value in life. How we approach and navigate the end-of-life is profoundly shaped by our personal philosophies and the values we hold dear. Understanding the impact of they have on our life will also give us some insight into how our End-of Life planning can be constructed to best suit us as individuals and help us to make decisions that align with our core principles.

This article explores the influences of value, beliefs and values on end-of-life planning and highlights the importance of incorporating them into the decision-making process.

What are they?

What is Value? Value is a subjective assessment of the worth, benefit or importance of someone or something. The value we assign to an individual, thing or object refers to the usefulness, significance or desirability of that person or thing. Is it of significance or importance? If it is, the value we place on it will be greater than the value we place on something or someone that we do not use, need or like.

What is a Belief? A belief is a conviction or acceptance that something is true whether we can prove it or not. Beliefs are influenced by personal experiences, religious ideologies, spiritual convictions, world view, cultural norms, upbringing, education and our direct society. Beliefs shape our attitudes and behaviours as well as influencing our decision-making processes. Beliefs are not fixed, they can change as our life circumstances change and we can hold conflicting or differing beliefs without causing any inner conflict.

What are Values? Values are our guiding principles or the standards by which we live and expect others to behave and live. Values serve as a framework for evaluating choices, behaviour and priorities. Our values set the tone for what we believe is right or wrong, good or bad, important or unimportant. They influence our world view and our world map. Our values are instilled in us through a variety of closely formed interactions with others and can be based on religious upbringing, cultural norms, personal experiences, ethics, morality and beliefs.

How do the things and people we value influence and inform our End-of-Life Planning?

The value we hold regarding things and people can have a significant impact on our End-of-Life planning in several ways:

Financial considerations: If we place a high value on material possessions or wealth, we may prioritise financial planning for End-of-Life expenses such as medical bills, funeral costs or estate planning. Our beliefs about money and possessions can influence decisions made about inheritance, charitable giving or other financial matters.

Relationships and social connections: If we value relationships and social connections, we may prioritise decisions regarding End-of-Life care that involve our loved ones. This could include appointing a healthcare proxy, discussion our preferences with family members or making arrangements for emotional support during the dying process such as engaging a Death Doula to help us prepare, to gentle our passing and to offer guidance to our loved ones after we have gone.

Autonomy and control: If we value autonomy and control over our own lives, we may prioritise creating an Advanced Care Directive, or a living Will such as Power of Attorney for healthcare to ensure that our wishes are respected in medical decision-making if we become incapacitated.

Spiritual and philosophical beliefs: For individuals who place a high value on spiritual or philosophical beliefs, End-of-Life planning may involved considerations relating to religious practices, ritual or beliefs about the afterlife. This could influence decisions about funeral arrangements or spiritual care during the dying process.

Legacy and impact: If we value leaving a legacy or making a positive impact on the world, we may engage in End-of-Life planning that involves decisions about charitable bequests, planned giving or other forms of philanthropy.

How do our beliefs influence and inform our End-of-Life Planning?

The Cultural or religious beliefs that we hold can impact our End-of-Life planning in several ways because they ultimately inform us of what is acceptable or deemed to be the right way within our community, social or religious group.

Our cultural and religious background can significantly influence how we perceive death, therefore what and how we make End-of-Life decisions. For example, we believe there is a God that we will meet in the afterlife, religious rituals are key to good preparation to meet God and there is only 1 way to treat or bury our body after death. These beliefs are deeply instilled in us throughout our lives and while they may differ greatly from beliefs held by other religious groups, for us, they are the only RIGHT way. To avoid internal conflict, confusion and a negative impact on the dying process, we must ensure that our End-of-Life plan allows space for these rituals.

How do our core values influence and inform our End-of-Life Planning?

Values such as honesty, security, faith or integrity can have a significant influence on our End-of-Life planning. Let’s look at just a few:

Honesty: Having honesty as one of our core values may lead us to approach End-of-Life planning with transparency and open communication. Honesty can inspire us to have candid discussions with our healthcare providers, family members and legal representatives about our wishes, preferences and what we assign value to in regards to creating a sacred space, the dying process and post death rituals. Honesty can also cause us to push people, things and beliefs away if they are not meeting our need to have our core values met. For example, a dear friend shuts us down each time we try to talk about dying, our fears or our wishes by saying “oh stop that, you have nothing to worry about, I don’t want to talk about it”. Then we overhear them talking to another person “oh this is so hard on me, I don’t want to talk about dying, I don’t know what to say”. We realise they have not been honest with themselves or with us at this critical time when we need care, support and honesty. We may find ourselves having to have the conversation to sooth their fears and address their inconsistencies or we may simply decide to limit our contact with this friend because they don’t pass the honesty test. Both options steal time, joy and friendship from us in our final days.

Security: Having security as one of our core values may lead us to planning with a focus on ensuring protection and stability during our End-of-Life process. This may involved making financial arrangements to cover medical expenses, establishing legal documents such as a Will or trust to secure our assets or planning for long-term care options to provide a sense of security for ourselves and our loved ones.

Faith: Having faith as one of our core values may lead us to planning with a focus on God and spiritual beliefs. Our End-of-Life plan may involved creating space and ritual relating to faith, the meaning of life and the afterlife. This can influence decisions made about funeral and memorial services, spiritual care and support and the integration of religious ritual or practices into our pre-death, death and post-death care to provide comfort, guidance and reassurance during our dying process.

Why is it important to prioritise the things we value as well as align our values and beliefs in our End-of-Life Planning?

Aligning core values, beliefs and the things we hold valuable is crucial for End-of-Life Planning for several important reasons.

Ensuring Personalised Care: By aligning our values, beliefs and what we hold valuable with our End-of-Life Plan we can ensure that the care we receive at the end of our life reflects who we are as individuals. This peronalised approach can help meet our emotional, spiritual and physical needs in a way that is meaningful and respectful.

Maintaining Dignity and Autonomy: When our values and beliefs are integrated into our End-of-Life Plan, we can uphold our sense of dignity and autonomy. Making decisions that align with our core values allows us to maintain control over the care we receive and the legacy we leave behind.

Reducing Conflict and Stress: When our End-of-Life Plan is based on our values and beliefs, it can help reduce potential conflict and stress for both ourselves and our loved ones. Clear communication about our preferences and desires can minimize misunderstandings and uncertainty during a challenging time.

Ensuring Comfort and Peace of Mind: Aligning our core values and beliefs in End-of-Life Planning can help ensure that we receive care that prioritises our comfort and peace of mind. By expressing our wishes related to pain management, spiritual support and other aspects of care, we can increase the likelihood of a peaceful and dignified End-of-Life experience.

Honouring Relationships and Legacies: End-of-Life Planning that reflects our values and the things we hold valuable allows us to honour our relationships and legacies. By communicating our desires for how we want to be remembered and the impact we want to leave behind, we can ensure that our values continue to resonate with those we care about.

Overall, aligning core values, beliefs and the things we hold valuable in End-of-Life Planning is essential for creating a plan that is holistic, compassionate and reflective of who we are as individuals. This alignment can lead to a more dignified, comfortable and meaningful End-of-Life experience.

Below is an incomplete chart of some of the core values we may hold. During your self-audit, you may discover others, note them down and explore the importance and impact they may have on your own End-of-Life Plan.

Below is an activity to help you identify your Values, Beliefs and what you Value in your life. During your self-audit you may discover

Beliefs