{"id":96552,"date":"2026-04-29T11:00:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/?p=96552"},"modified":"2026-04-29T11:00:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:00:54","slug":"what-are-goals-of-care-and-how-do-we-talk-about-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/2026\/04\/29\/what-are-goals-of-care-and-how-do-we-talk-about-them\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are Goals of Care and How Do We Talk About Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A GUIDE FOR CAREGIVERS AND FAMILIES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking about goals of care can feel daunting, but it\u2019s one of the most important conversations you can have with your loved ones and care team. At Greendale House, we want to help you understand what these conversations mean, why they matter, and how to approach them with clarity and compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does \u201cGoals of Care\u201d Mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals of care are conversations about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 What matters most to this person<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 What makes life meaningful for them<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 What medical treatments align with their values<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 What treatments may not<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These conversations help us to have clarity when medical decisions or crises arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not a conversation about when to \u201cgive up.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Do These Conversations Matter?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These principles become critical when there is a serious medical event, and the likelihood of meaningful recovery is low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Cardiac arrest<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Severe stroke<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Respiratory failure<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Advanced disease progression<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Families are often consulted to help make decisions on their loved one\u2019s behalf, and this is even harder when a goal of care conversation has never been discussed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 3 Big Questions Often Asked<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living Wills or Advance Directives are documents people can complete that often address 3 main questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Would you want CPR?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Would you want ventilation (a breathing machine)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Would you want artificial feeding via a feeding tube?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are usually considered when recovery to prior function is unlikely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Important in South Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living Wills \/ Advance Directives do not carry binding legal weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors and hospitals are not legally obligated to follow them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, they remain valuable because they guide the next of kin who will likely be consulted in a crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clarity reduces conflict and regret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 3 Big Questions Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals of care discussions should also include questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Where would you prefer to receive care?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Would you want hospital transfers if very unwell?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Would you treat infections aggressively?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 What level of dependency feels acceptable?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Who should speak on your behalf if you cannot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 What does a \u201cgood death\u201d look like to you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 How much information do you want about prognosis?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 How much intervention feels burdensome?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Should we prioritise comfort over life prolongation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Most Important Question<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before asking about machines or procedures, ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes life worth living for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some people, being alive at any cost is most important. For others, independence, awareness, and engagement matter more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no right answer – only alignment with individual values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Start the Conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It often feels awkward. Naming the awkwardness reduces it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes people signal they are already thinking about it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 \u201cI might not be around next Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 \u201cI\u2019ve lived a good life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 \u201cI don\u2019t want to be a burden.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to live like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t shut these down. Instead, try asking more about what they mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These comments are invitations, not things to correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why These Conversations Matter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Families are left making decisions in crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having these conversations ahead of time gives clarity so that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Decisions align with values<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Guilt is reduced<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Conflict is reduced<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Fear is reduced<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 The person feels heard<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It decreases isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals of care are not about death.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Dignity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Autonomy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Relationships<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Respect<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are unsure how to begin, ask for guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals of care conversations are essential in ensuring that medical decisions reflect what truly matters to the person receiving care. They help families and caregivers navigate difficult moments with clarity, compassion, and respect. At Greendale House, we encourage you to start these conversations early, so you and your loved ones can face the future with confidence and peace of mind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A GUIDE FOR CAREGIVERS AND FAMILIES Talking about goals of care can feel daunting, but it\u2019s one of the most important conversations you can have with your loved ones and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":96553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[273],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-Are-Goals-of-Care-and-How-Do-We-Talk-About-Them.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96552"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96554,"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96552\/revisions\/96554"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greendalehouse.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}