It might sound crazy to have fun playing a game called The Death Deck, but it’s true. Death Deck creators Lori LoCicero and Lisa Pahl know first hand from both personal and professional journeys how difficult it can be to discuss death and dying.
Lori is a writer and entrepreneur who lost both her mother and husband within the span of a year. Lisa is a hospice social worker and an ER Crisis Interventionist. Working together, they’ve created a card game that allows the topic of death to be discussed with gentle humor and deep reflection.
The Death Deck game is recommended for ages 13 and up, and can be played in groups or with partners. The set of 112 cards includes multiple choice questions and open-ended questions to encourage conversation about the oh-so-difficult to discuss topic of death.
Jerry and I were excited to order our set of cards. We’ve played it on the podcast (check it out here). Even though we talk about death a lot on The Heart of Hospice and in our hospice jobs, there were topics in the game that we hadn’t even thought about. We got a little silly and reflected on some of our deeper thoughts about our own deaths.
The thing that makes the Death Deck so effective is that it takes the sting out of a conversation that so many people try to avoid. If we know it’s helpful to talk about dying, why not use some laughter to lighten the subject? Blend a little light-hearted conversation with the deeper discussion, and you’ve got a game that can help you, your family and your friends talk about death.
You can get your own game on the Death Deck website (thedeathdeck.com), and find out more about Lori and Lisa’s personal journeys. Have fun and take the fear out of talking about death!
No matter who you are, or where you are in your hospice journey, you are The Heart of Hospice.