What advice should be given to an individual to help him or her support a person who is dying?

Answers will vary. First of all, one must be there for the person who is dying. It is helpful to be available to listen, to talk, and to share experiences. It also helps to give the person the opportunity to talk about death and to grieve and also to talk about the ongoing lives of mutual acquaintances. People who are dying often need to focus on things other than impending death, and some enjoy humorous events. It is important to be aware of the person's emotional state on any given day. Trying to minimize the person's emotional pain or need to grieve by changing the subject or refusing to acknowledge it is not a good idea.