• What do I want to leave behind and to whom?
• What medical treatments do I want and which ones don't I want?
• What type of funeral do I want?
• How will my family pay for my funeral? 
• What is the legacy that I am leaving my children and to the world?
• What unfinished business do I need to take care of?

This is a time to get your affairs in order if you have not done so already. There are many resources on the Internet that may be helpful to you. Some resources are:

Wills and Estate Planning

Michael Palmero gives a crash course on estate planning at his website: www.mtpalermo.com/. He provides basic information that is helpful to read before consulting an attorney.

You can purchase forms or a program to make out a will at multiple web sites. Use a search engine such as Google at: www.google.com and type in wills. The forms and programs for estate planning you find on the Internet are a good place to begin. However, also consult an attorney to make sure you have not left anything out, made any major mistakes, and have complied with your state's laws.

Advance Directives

Partnership for Caring at: www.partnershipforcaring.org has advance directives for each individual state, medical power of attorney documents, and a toolkit for advanced care planning you can print out and use.

Funeral Planning

The Funeral Consumers Alliance offers "For Your Personal Information" at: www.funerals.org/personal/index.htm .  This web site has extensive information about planning for a funeral, questions to ask, tips for saving money, information on caskets, and how to help the grieving. 

The Partnership for Caring at www.partnershipforcaring.org in their Family and Consumer Resource Guide has several links to web sites on funeral planning.

DOCUMENTS  Today's Caregiver magazine recommends that you organize and put in one place all of the following documents: A list of all bank accounts, account numbers, types of accounts and location of the bank. A list with insurance policy numbers, company name, beneficiary as stated on the policy, and type of insurance. Deed and title to all properties. Loan/lien information, who holds them, and if there are any death provisions. Social security and Medicare numbers. Military history, affiliations, and papers. Location of up-to-date will- its safe place. Living Will or other Advance Directives. Durable Power of Attorney. Instructions for funeral services and burial including the name and location of the funeral home or burial site if arrangements have been made. Make sure someone knows where this information is kept.

Leaving a Legacy

At the end of life many people think about leaving a legacy. The legacy can be a letter, tape recording, or video tape of special thoughts, memories, your story, or telling loved ones how much you love them. A collage of photographs of family and friends is a special legacy you can leave. Asking family members what they would like and taping their name on the bottom of each item assures each person receives something special. 

Written by  Linda Miller, RN, MA
Edited by Rachael Myers Lowe, cancerpage.com

This page was last edited on 04/18/2008