Your End of Life Planning Checklist
Posted on: May 21st, 2021 by Chad Hill
Create Your End-of-Life Planning Checklist
Planning for the end of your life can be very important to your loved ones. They will experience peace of mind knowing they are doing things the way you want them done. Your careful preparation will also make certain things easier when your time comes. At My Living Wishes, we give you the assistance you need to get your end-of-life documents and instructions in order. Just like a shopping list gets you prepared to go to the grocery store, an end-of-life planning list gives you a place to begin. As you complete the various documents and steps, you can check them off with full confidence that you are doing the right thing.
Your End-of-Life Planning Checklist
Every checklist will be different. You can use all or some of our ideas below, or use them as a jumping-off point to begin your own end-of-life planning checklist.
Health Care
- Create an advance directive to let your loved ones know your wishes concerning your health care at the end of your life.
- This document may include do-not-resuscitate orders, personal choices concerning hospitals or nursing homes, whether you’d like to be on life support, who is your health care power of attorney, and more.
- Provide your family, friends, and health care providers with a copy of your advance directive.
Possessions
- If you would like to give away certain items to specific people, consider doing so before your death.
- Clean out and dispose of any possessions you wouldn’t want anyone to see.
- Make a document explaining where important documents and items, such as the deed to your house, can be found.
Finances and Estate Planning
- Help streamline the settlement of your estate by documenting information concerning your mortgages, bank accounts, life insurance, debts, and investments.
- Create a last will and testament. A complex estate will require the assistance of a lawyer or financial planner.
Funeral
- Make arrangements with a funeral home.
- Make a list of people who should be notified of your passing.
- Decide how your remains should be treated, and make arrangements accordingly.
- Write your own obituary.
- Take the pressure off your loved ones by paying for funeral expenses ahead of time.
My Living Wishes is here to help you navigate the health care items on your end-of-life planning checklist. Get started now. You’ll soon be feeling more at ease concerning your end of life.
