The bizarre family feud over who should take care of Casey Kasem and make decisions about his care was played out publicly and legally for several years until his death this month. His 3 children from a first marriage and his second wife fought vehemently in both the media and the courts over who should be able to make decisions, who was able to visit him, who was ultimately responsible for his care. His wife went as far as secretly moving him out of California and not letting the rest of his family know where he was.

Most families, even if they disagree about care for a parent, won’t go to such extremes as Kasem’s family. But family conflict is common and we can use Casey Kasem as a reminder that it’s worth taking the time to talk to the people around you about what’s important for you at the end of your life, or even in your later years.

Families need to talk and to understand what their parents want to have happen or not happen. Everyone involved should be part of this conversation so there is less chance down the road of someone disagreeing about what he thought Mom would want. Talk now when there is no crisis pressuring a decision. The Conversation Project in Boulder County offers an easy-to-use guide to get your family talking about how they want the end of their lives to look.

Here is a brief video explaining the Conversation Project and end of life planning –