Thinking about how to talk with your loved one now, while he/she is still healthy, is a good idea. It is important to open these discussions early, so you know whether you and your loved one are prepared in case an emergency happens. It is also important for you to talk with family members about the “what-ifs” before a crisis happens (which may be either a financial or health crisis—often it’s both). What if your loved one becomes very ill? What if she/he can no longer live at home? What if he/she can no longer communicate her/his wishes? These are difficult topics to discuss, but these discussions are critical to have so that you can determine whether financial safeguards are in place to ensure that your loved one always receives quality health care; make sure that your loved one has the legal documents necessary to guarantee that she/he always gets the medical treatment he/she would prefer and that his/her feelings about life-sustaining treatments are honored; find out where important personal, medical and financial documents are kept —information that may play a role in determining what kind of care she/he gets. This information can help you help him/her. For example, if your loved one has limited income , he/she may be eligible for programs that can help reduce his health care costs . Here are some tips to help you talk with anyone about difficult topics: Think about what you want to say ahead of time. Also think about how the person may react to your bringing up difficult subjects. Pick a good time to talk. Try to pick a time when neither of you are in a hurry. Ask questions and listen. Your largest concern may be how to pay for health care in the future; your loved one may be worried about other aspects of growing older. Being empathetic to those concerns may make her/him more receptive to your suggestions. Be clear and concise. If there is an elephant in the room, address it. For example, if it is clear that his/her financial situation will not last if he/she becomes ill, get to the point. Respect your loved one’s opinions. They may not always agree with you. If you respect his/her opinion, they may come around to your side or be open to exploring alternative solutions. Do not try to get to everything. You may have many issues you want to discuss. It is possible your loved one may not want to talk now or will change the subject after a while. View your first conversation as opening the door for future conversations.