In the unfortunate circumstance where a loved one or friend is ill and is not expected to recover, they will usually be provided with ‘palliative’ end of life care. It's not uncommon that the person will choose to spend their remaining time at home or if they need more involved support, they may need to stay in a hospital or care home.
Preparing and making arrangements during this period of time is essential to gain an understanding of what will be needed in the future, through better knowledge of your loved one's wishes. It will also allow you to have more time to spend with family and friends during the difficult time when they do pass away.
Find out who the next of kin is
The person's next of kin will have a range of responsibilities bestowed upon them when the time comes. These may include the emotional task of notifying friends and family about the death or even dealing with their estate and probate.
If they do not have next of kin, your loved one could update their will to name you as the person to undertake the above tasks and even be an executor of their estate.
Check if they have a will and where it is stored
If possible, you should check to see if they have an up to date will. If the person made their will a long time ago, you might need to spend some time finding out where they have stored it for safekeeping, especially if their illness has affected their memory.
You might be interested in reading: How to find a will
What to do if they don’t have a will or their current will needs updating
You can easily get a will made with us here at Will.Services if they don’t have one in place or that correctly reflects their current wishes and circumstances.
By creating a new, up to date will, will ensure that they can outline how they want their estate distributed along with any particular funeral arrangements they may want.
Do they have a lasting power of attorney in place?
If your loved ones' mental capacity is deteriorating, you may want to set up a lasting power of attorney to help make decisions about their everyday affairs such as finances, housing, healthcare, and anything else that impacts the quality of their life.
The most common attorneys tend to be:
- Close friends
- Relatives
- Professional solicitors
An LPA can be temporary or permanent, depending on the individual's preferences. They will also have the option to choose from the two main types:
- Health and Welfare LPA
- Property and Financial Affairs LPA
If you’d like to help your loved one set up a lasting power of attorney, you can do so quickly and easily with Wills.Services. To get started, click the button below and the process can be handled from the comfort of your own home.
Create Your Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)
You might be interested in reading: Lasting Power of Attorney - Should I get a power of attorney or is it a waste of time?
Funeral Plans and Insurance
If you’ve managed to find the will, your loved one may have included certain requests and wishes for their funeral such as the type of service they would like, the location or even the songs and readings.
If you are able to, it may be worth talking through these details with the person to make sure that the plans still correctly reflect what they want.
If you cannot talk to your loved one, you could talk to close family and friends to find out if they had conversations that may help with the funeral planning.
Check if they have a funeral plan or life insurance in place
Over the last few years, prepaid funeral plans have become more popular in the UK. With this in mind, it's worth checking if your loved one has a funeral plan or insurance in place to cover the cost of their funeral.
We recommend spending some time to find out if they have a funeral plan in place, as it may also hold details about their chosen funeral director and funeral wishes. Up until the end of July 2022, you could have used the Funeral Planning Authority website to search for a record of their plan, however, this service has now ceased to operate.
If you are unable to find the paperwork for their plans, you could contact well-known providers on the person's behalf.
