Life review techniques can help patients identify points of meaning, important issues of legacy, and unresolved issues of the past such as remorse, unfulfilled ambitions or guilt. Life review helps to make a connection with those that are living on.
The patient in the dying role may wish to pass on his life story; wisdom or experience (such as a recipe); passing on roles such as leading the family business; settling troubled relationships; saying “I love you” and so on. This is fulfilling to both the patient and the loved ones.
Knight SJ, Emanuel LL. Loss, Bereavement and Adaptation. Emanuel LL, Librach SL (Ed). Palliative Care – Core Skills and Clinical Competencies. Second Edition, St.Louis, Missouri, Elsevier, 2011, pp. 242-254.