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End-of-life decisions
You may be reading this page because you have been
diagnosed with a terminal illness. Or maybe you are near the
end of your life because of a long-term illness, or old age.
We all have things we think about and want to act on as we
near the end of our life. Some are things we want to do on
our own, some are things we want to involve our loved
ones in. Others are things we need to involve professionals
such as doctors or lawyers in.
This page is about some of the things you might be
thinking about, or need to make decisions about.
Legal and financial matters
Your will
It's important to have a will that clearly details what you want to happen to your belongings after you
die. It makes the process much smoother for your relatives, and avoids any drawn-out process or
unpleasant disputes.
Your will can specify who you want to receive any personal items such as special jewellery or heirlooms. It
can also specify if you want to make a special gift of money to any individuals or charities.
You can arrange a will through your lawyer, or the Public Trust.
Enduring power of attorney
Arranging an enduring power of attorney means appointing someone to make decisions for you
should you be unable to before you die, for example, if you are unconscious. You can even arrange a
specific medical power of attorney, meaning someone who can make decisions just about your
medical care if you can't do so.
The people you appoint to either of these positions need to be people you can trust. Talk to your
lawyer about how to arrange this.
Guardianship
If you have dependent children and there may be issues about who will care for them once you have
gone, talk to your lawyer about arranging for formal guardianship. This will make it clear who you
want to make decisions about your children's care.
Planning for your medical care
It's good to let people know, while you can still make your wishes known, what medical care you want
at the end of your life. It's best to do this formally, with the help of your medical tea m. They can talk
to you about advance care planning and medical care guidance plans.
This discussion can include issues such as what resuscitation or active medical treatment you want, if
you want to donate your organs if that is possible, and where you would like to die.
HealthInfo reference: 349385
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Issued: 2 May 2017
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Page 1 of 2
End-of-life decisions
www.healthinfo.org.nz
Making – and working through – a bucket list
As people approach the end of their lives, they often think
about things they wished they'd done or experienced. They
can be as simple as trying a new food, or as adventurous as
travelling to a place you've never been before.
Achieving some of these things can become more important
when you know you have limited time left.
Planning a bucket list can help you focus on the things that are
most important to you – and the things you can achieve – in the last years, months, or weeks of your life.
There may be some things you can no longer do, but by making a list you can choose those things you
can achieve, and which are important to you, such as calling someone you haven't spoken to in years.
You may get some ideas from websites such as bucketlist (www.bucketlest.org).
Planning for your funeral
Talking with your friends and family about what you would like at your funeral will make it easier for
them to arrange this, at a time when they will be grieving for you.
Your funeral will be a time when people come together to celebrate your life. It can be important for
your friends and family to reflect on your life and how you affected their lives.
Some of the things you might want to arrange are:
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the funeral director you want to use
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where your funeral will be held
what special poems, songs, or readings you
would like
what flowers or music you would like
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what type of coffin you would prefer
who you would like to speak at your service
what videos or photos you want to be shown
whether you want to be cremated or buried, and
what you would like to happen to your remains.
Planning how you will be remembered
People want to be remembered in different ways. These are just some ideas.
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Involve friends and family in gathering together old photographs and arranging them in an album
that shows the progress of your life.
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If there is movie or video footage you're fond of, have it transferred it to a digital format for future
generations to enjoy. You can find businesses that offer this service by searching on Yellow Pages
for "video transfer".
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Tell your own story, with memories of specific events that you may not have told your family about, or
family stories that everyone has loved and enjoyed over the years. You can record these stories in your
own voice, or you may wish to write them down. Nurse Maude offers a biography service.
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Put together a memory box, with items from your life that people can enjoy and remember you by.
Doing this with family and friends will create a time for telling stories, and perhaps telling them
things you may never have spoken about before.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Endorsed by Canterbury DHB and community palliative care
specialists. May 2017.
349385
HealthInfo reference: 349385

Issued: 2 May 2017

Page 2 of 2