School children should be taught about ageing and death so they can better cope with the loss of loved ones and their own mortality, Queensland doctors say.
Adolescents should also be writing advanced care plans so families and doctors can understand their wishes if they suffer a debilitating or life-threatening accident or illness, the Australian Medical Association of Queensland says.
"We've seen sad cases of young men getting terrible injuries playing sport and it would have helped their families and doctors enormously if they knew how he wanted to be cared for in his last days," AMAQ chair of general practice Dr Richard Kidd said in a statement on Friday.
"In many families, death is a bit of a taboo topic that only gets discussed at crisis points."
Dr Kidd said Australia's ageing population meant younger people also needed a better understanding of their older relatives' end-of-life care options.
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He said topics such as how to make a will could be folded into existing subjects, including legal studies, science and health.
"More than any other generation, they will need to understand advance care plans where their loved ones decide how they want care to be delivered at the end of their lives," he said.
Palliative Care Queensland has backed the proposal.
