Dr. Sarah Holmes shares that the biggest regret of patients before they die is not having lived fully, not saying the things they needed to say, or not doing the things they always wanted to do.

Facing the final days of life is an emotional period for both patients and their families. Dr. Holmes, the Medical Director at the Marie Curie charity in the UK, has spent many years accompanying patients during the most challenging moments of their lives and has witnessed many different situations. She observes that most people fear physical pain and the uncertainty surrounding death. However, with proper medical support, this pain is often effectively managed.

According to Dr. Holmes, the biggest concern for patients is emotional. Many people are troubled by things they haven't done, leading to feelings of regret. She explains that people often don't regret the things they have done, but rather the things left unfinished in their lives. The most common regret she has heard is: "I regret not living fully, not expressing what I needed to say, or not doing the things I always wanted to do."

Dr. Holmes and her colleagues always strive to help patients have the opportunity to complete what is unfinished. This might be making peace with loved ones, fulfilling a final wish, or simply having conversations about difficult topics they had previously avoided.

She encourages everyone to have open and honest conversations about death regularly. This way, people can reduce regrets about things left unsaid or undone when the final moments arrive.