Looking at the wave of COVID-19, we realize how uncertain life can be. And how vital “End of Life Planning” is. To put it simply, preparing for the end ensures your financial, medical, and personal affairs are in order.
Most importantly, a checklist with end-of-life instructions will help your family know your exact wishes. And, fulfilling your final wishes will bring peace to your loved ones. Thus, preparing for the end will not only help you but your family as well.
We understand planning for the end can be overwhelming. And we are here to help you prepare the ultimate End of Life Planning Checklist.
5 Essential Things To Include in End of Life Planning Checklist
1. Your Assets
Create a list of all your assets. Your assets are something that passes on to your loved ones after your demise. Here are some examples of different types of assets to be included in your checklist.
- Bank accounts information/ safety deposit box location
- Real Estate/ Property details
- Life insurance details
- Pension/retirement plans
- Online accounts- social media accounts, online subscription accounts, etc.
Investments and stock details
2. End of Life Care Plans
Talk to your doctor and explore your options for end-of-life care. You can create an advance directive – a document that includes your final wishes regarding medical interventions at the end of your life.
Try making your advance directive specific and don’t forget to designate an individual as your healthcare agent. They will ensure your final wishes are honored.
3. Your Legacy Plan
Include your legacy plan in your End of life checklist. This ensures your Assets are secured even after your demise. A legacy plan can be for your tangible assets as well as Digital Assets. It includes instructions such as closing social media accounts or memorializing them.
While planning your Digital Legacy you can include legacy letters, audio or video message for your loved ones, and even bedtime stories for your grandkids.
4. End of Life Planning Documents
It is important to keep your documents updated when you add them to your checklist. Here are some essential documents to include in your end-of-life planning checklist.
- Last Will and Testament: Outline your final wishes such as distribution of your Assets.
- Living Will: People with terminal illness usually create the living will to outline their wishes regarding end-of-life care.
- Living Trust: It is a legal document that outlines how your financial assets should be distributed after your death.
- Letter of Intent: A letter to express your end-of-life decisions to your beneficiaries.
- Organ Donor Card: Those who want to donate their organ/tissues after their death needs to include the organ donor card in their end-of-life planning checklist.
5. Funeral and Burial Arrangements
Planning for funeral arrangements might seem ghastly but it is one of the mindful gifts you can give to your loved ones. Deciding on your funeral and burial plans can ease off their burdens while they grieve your death.
You can tell your loved one what sort of funeral you want. Here are a few types of funerals you can choose from:
- Traditional service
- Memorial service
- Celebration of life
- Ashes scattering ceremony
End of Life Planning is a way of providing peace to your loved ones even after your death. It helps them in their grieving process while safeguarding all your assets be it tangible or non-tangible. Furthermore, it ensures all your final wishes are known to your family and honored by them. So, create your end-of-life planning checklist today!
