Why aren't we talking about the end?
Why would we? It feels far away. It’s sad, uncomfortable, and frightening. Talking about death often feels like inviting it in. So, we put it off. There’s always something else to focus on… until there isn’t. Then, suddenly, it’s time, and decisions need to be made quickly — often in the middle of a crisis. That’s when trauma and chaos can take the lead.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Tri-Cities Chaplaincy has provided expert end-of-life care in Benton and Franklin Counties for over 50 years. What began as a grassroots ministry providing chaplains in the community eventually grew into a comprehensive hospice provider (certified by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), complete with a beautiful, serene Hospice House that offers a home-like setting for those who need more physical support while on hospice services.
We meet people where they are, literally and emotionally. We go to patients wherever they call home — which may be a traditional home, it may be a facility like an adult family home or assisted living facility or a skilled nursing facility, or it may be a non-traditional home setting.
But we also meet people spiritually, emotionally, and mentally — acknowledging their fears, beliefs, doubts, and hopes, whatever form those may take.
Each day, we care for an average of 160 patients, ensuring their final days are defined not by pain and uncertainty but by peace, dignity, and comfort. We also wrap care around their loved ones — those who are often caught in the whirlwind of stress, grief, and urgent decisionmaking.
Don’t wait too long.
Most people still don’t know what hospice care looks like, mainly because they haven’t needed it yet. Or they’ve only seen it in the final days of a loved one’s life, when decisions were made too late for them to have fully benefited from what hospice can offer. The reality is that most families wait too long.
One of the most powerful things we can do to reduce suffering — our own and our loved ones’ — is to have early, honest conversations about what matters most near the end of life. These are critical conversations, not just about whether we want CPR or ventilators, but about what quality of life means to us. Where we want to be. Who we want present. What fears we have. What gives us peace.
Planning ahead doesn’t make death come sooner. It gives our families a roadmap. It allows for more time in comfort, and less time in chaos. And it puts us in the driver’s seat of our final chapter.
At Tri-Cities Chaplaincy, we see daily how these conversations change outcomes. We’re here to help you start them — whether through community workshops, advance care planning tools like Five Wishes, or simply by being a resource when you’re ready.
It’s never too early to talk about the end. But it can be too late. The earlier you begin, the more peace you can find — not just at the end, but every day until then.
Connect with us to learn more about our services. Go to our website: TCCBestLife.org Email: Info@TCCBestLife.org Call: 509-783-7416
Alane Wilkerson is the Communications & Marketing Supervisor at Tri-Cities Chaplaincy.
