Getting your affairs in order

These questions can help you to work out the various things you need to consider or organise. Write a to-do list or use the suggestions below as a checklist.

Financial and legal matters

• Have you made arrangements for your financial affairs?
• Do you want someone to make legal or financial decisions for you if you are not able to?
• Have you appointed a power of attorney?
• Does someone know where important papers or valuables are stored in the home or elsewhere?
• Do you have a valid will?
• If you have life insurance, is the beneficiary information up to date?
• If you have superannuation, have you nominated a binding beneficiary? This person must be your dependant. If it is a “lapsing” nomination, you must confirm it in writing every 3 years, so check when you did this last.

Relationships

• Who would you like to see before you become too unwell? Are there people you want to see or speak to? Any family or friends you want to connect with?
• If you’d like to prepare letters or video messages for family or friends, have you done so?
• Who would you like to have around you as you get closer to death? Do they know? Are there people you don’t want around?
• Are there unresolved issues that you would like to sort out with particular people? Do you need help or mediation to talk to estranged family or friends?
• Have you left the instructions and passwords for your social media accounts somewhere or given them to someone to safeguard?

Medical care

• Are there certain treatments that you don’t want to have?
• Are there outcomes of specific medical situations (e.g. life support) that you would find unacceptable?
• Have you discussed your wishes for end-of-life care with your family, carers and health professionals?
• Have you considered who can make decisions about your care if you’re not able to make them yourself?
• Have you recorded your wishes for future medical care in an advance care directive?
• Have you appointed a substitute decision-maker?

Spiritual issues

• Are there any cultural, spiritual or religious practices that you would like carried out before or after your death?
• Who do you need to ask to make sure that what you want will happen?
• Do you want a minister, priest, rabbi, imam or other spiritual practitioner present at the end?
• Do you want to be buried or cremated? Where do you want to be buried?
• Do you have a burial plot? Would you like to have your ashes scattered in a specific place?
• What are your preferences for a funeral or memorial service?
• Have you shared your wishes with family and friends?

→ READ MORE: Making funeral plans

I feel like I have a window of time to get my house in order. I want my transition to be easy for my family.

Pat

Podcast: Living with Dying

Listen to more episodes of our podcast for people affected by cancer