Dr. David Kuhl, author of What Dying People Want, explains that all dying people have something to say—a truth to speak from their heart. People that are dying are still living, so treat them as such. They want a sense of connection to their sense of self, to their intimate relationships, and also to something bigger than themselves (a higher being or a higher power). As their physical body gets weaker, the spiritual part grows stronger.
Ironically, this can be an optimal time of growth in their life. Dying people may want to be around family, even if the family didn't always get along. Use this time to create a forum, to not necessarily reconcile differences, but to understand one another.