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Two Together: Save £100!
Save £100 when you purchase two funeral plans together. Call us for more details.
Article reviewed by Judy Carole, Published Author on February 26, 2025.
When facing up to the need to plan for the end of our lives, we realise how complex and multilayered it can be. We not only have financial elements to consider, but we also have to put a plan of action in place for what will happen should our health decline; what to include in our wills; and what sort of funeral we should arrange. The admin that piles up can soon become overwhelming. In order to get you started, we’ve put together this end-of-life planning guide. We will get the ball rolling by outlining the key components of an end-of-life plan.
Key Takeaways
To those who haven’t spent any time thinking about it, the concept of an end-of-life plan might seem strange; why would we need to worry about any of what follows, when we will no longer be here? Of course, few people actually think like that, as most of us are well aware of all the hassle that this would place on the shoulders of those we leave behind. As such, if our children are trying to cope with the death of a parent, say, then we can make their lives a bit easier by planning in advance.
But, apart from securing peace of mind for our families, an end-of-life plan is also personally important for us. By following an end-of-life planning guide in order to create our own plan, we can make sure that those around us know our end-of-life wishes. It doesn’t just relate to the importance of writing a will, but also to getting an advance care plan together, and deciding on what kind of funeral you would like.
As you might expect, putting in place an end-of-life plan may require you to open up conversations about dying with your family, as well as about your likely health and care needs in the future. You may need to talk to a solicitor about your estate too.
The key components of an end-of-life plan relate to your health; your emotional or spiritual preparation; financial matters; and, combining them all, your funeral wishes.
Although we may be (understandably) reluctant to think about it, it can be worthwhile considering our hypothetical wishes if we should fall ill and lose the ability to decide matters for ourselves. Dementia and end-of-life are linked closely for this reason, and though apprehensive about the onset of cognitive debilitation, we may wish to think about the mental capacity act and setting up a power of attorney. In so doing, we can decide on things ahead of time, such as whether to resuscitate or not to resuscitate, and whether to vest others whom we trust with the power to make financial decisions for us.
An Advance Care Plan (ACP) (the specific part of an end-of-life plan which relates to our health decision-making), lets us specify our health wishes ahead of time, in case we should ever become too ill to make health-related decisions. We can use it to explain which family members should be involved in our care; where we’d like to be cared for (at home, if possible, or in a hospice, for example); and more seemingly mundane (but important) preferences, like whether we sleep with one pillow or two, and whether we’d like the radio on or not. Doctors and nurses can then follow your wishes, and, if you are already receiving medical care, you can coordinate your ACP with them.
There are certain legal and financial matters you’ll need to consider when making an end-of-life plan. An obvious one will be writing a will. This will require you to decide how to apportion your estate to your loved ones (and therefore, to evaluate the size of your estate first), but you will also need to think about choosing an executor for your will. Your executor will need to formally take on the responsibility, so you may want to ask them if they want to do it before naming them.
Beyond that, you may wish to think about setting up a power of attorney. We may all have to face a day where we will need others to make financial decisions on our behalf, or decisions about our healthcare if we become too sick to make them ourselves. Giving someone the power to act over our finances and to make decisions for us, can be a very significant step, so, again, make sure you choose this person wisely.
You can also think about what you would like to arrange in advance for your funeral. Organisations like Aura offer funeral plans which allow you to pay for and specify the kind of funeral arrangements you’d like to make in advance of the day itself. It gives you the valuable benefit of peace of mind, knowing that you’ve taken care of everything, and that your family won’t need to worry about paying for and organising everything themselves when you are no longer here.
You can also think about personal aspects, such as the best funeral songs for your ceremony, and even cremation ashes ideas for your remains after cremation, giving your family something special to remember you by. Try to talk about death and dying in advance with your family, as this will make it easier for you to communicate your preferences to them, and for them to offer any advice or feedback on your ideas. It will also help them to handle their grief more effectively if they understand your preferences in advance.
To create your end-of-life plan, you will need to gather documentation; assess your finances; think about your healthcare preferences and needs; and speak to your family.
Here are the steps you will need to go through to create an end-of-life plan.
It’s important not to underestimate how complicated it can be to plan your own funeral. You’ll need to weigh up your options, and talk to your family about your choices.
One of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make is to weigh up cremation vs burial, as this will help to determine your budget (cremation is generally significantly cheaper than burial). You will also need to figure out whether you’d like your funeral to be attended or unattended. Again, what you feel is right for you will impact the choices you can make about location and format. There are also non-traditional, alternative funeral options which you can consider as against the standard options of cremation or burial.
If you are religious, then, naturally, you will need to consider the different beliefs on death and funerals in your religion. This might require you to consider the availability of the institutions of your faith within your local area.
Considering all of these elements in advance can seriously reduce the stress of your family for when the time comes.
Communicating your wishes about your funeral to your loved ones in advance can be a very important, and rewarding, step. With the decline of religion in the UK, more people are choosing less traditional, more affordable direct cremation alternatives. As such, they may then feel the need to talk to their family about direct cremation. But doing so can make sure that everyone understands your intentions beforehand, and gives you the chance to allay any fears.
If you are worrying about how to open up conversations about dying with those you love, you might consider the services of a death doula, who can facilitate such conversations, and help you to communicate your intentions and preferences. In general, try to have such conversations in person, if you can, and to be an open-minded listener. The topic of funerals can provoke a lot of strong emotions – especially among family members – and it can take some people time to process the information they are being told. You might also find it helpful to start a funeral checklist to help yourself stay organised.
When putting provisions in place for your financial matters for a time when you may no longer be able to actively decide anything, you will have a few things to consider. From getting all of your financial affairs organised to thinking about who will take charge of things for you.
Something you will need to do which can make life a lot easier for everyone is to gather together all of your financial information in one (secure) place. When you die, the executor of your will will need to provide the UK Government with a final account of your estate’s assets for the purpose of inheritance tax. This will be much easier for them if they have a clear overview of your finances. With that in mind, you may want to gather together information for your savings accounts, property deeds, investments and pensions, and insurance policies.
You may wish to take the opportunity to settle any outstanding debts you have, whilst you can, as well as to gather the security information of your accounts together, before leaving them with your solicitor or a family member. If you have given power of attorney, or are in the process of delegating it, then you should talk to your financial institutions as soon as possible, as they can ease the transition from you to your loved one with the benefit of more time. All of this will make it easier for your nominated person to take charge of your affairs, as well as for them to close your bank account after you die.
When it comes to how to pay for a funeral, making sure that all of the documents for your prepaid funeral plan, or your over-50s life insurance policy are easily accessible is also important.
The executor of your will must apply for probate with your will and then administer your estate. If you die without a will, they can still administer your estate, but the process is more complicated. Within your will, you may also wish to make provisions for practical elements, such as how to care for any pets that you have left behind, or instructions for tending your garden. The executor will likely take on responsibility for all of this, so try to make things as easy as possible for them by empowering them with all the information they will need beforehand.
Once you’ve got an end-of-life care plan in place, there are plenty of benefits that will come your way.
One of the most obvious advantages is that it brings you and your family peace of mind. They won’t have to worry about making complicated decisions on your behalf, when you’re not able, without consulting you; they’ll have a handbook that tells them exactly what you’d want, and they can apply your wishes in tranquility. This kind of guidance can make the grieving process easier, but, even in a situation where you are simply too ill to make decisions for yourself, it can empower your loved ones to act. Simply being able to act at a time where they feel powerless will give them a powerful mercy at a difficult time.
For you, and for them, having an end-of-life plan will preserve dignity. It is undignified to receive treatment which you don’t approve of, but which you are either unaware of, or unable to resist. Having an end-of-life care plan in place prevents this situation from arising. With such a plan, your autonomy is preserved in writing.
An end-of-life care plan also helps to co-ordinate your care and respect your wishes. Healthcare professionals will be able to use it in order to provide the best care that they possibly can whilst preserving your will and giving effect to your preferences. They can even work with you proactively ahead of time to help you write your end-of-life care plan, should you wish.
We hope that this end-of-life planning guide has been useful for you. It’s a complex and often upsetting subject to deal with, but being well informed is the best way to gain control of it. We at Aura are here to empower you to face these challenges with composure and confidence.
Aura is the UK’s top-rated provider of ‘Cremation Services’ on Trustpilot, with a score of 4.9/5 stars. It’s our wonderful, industry-leading team of Aura Angels which have helped to earn us this recognition from the satisfied families we’ve had in our care. They spearhead our mission to provide compassionate, knowledgeable care which sets you at ease. They are outstanding funeral arrangers who can support in all areas, from paperwork to logistics. They will even lend a listening ear if you want to talk about how you may be feeling.
If you’d like our help to plan a funeral for you or a loved one in the medium-to-long term, then you can download our free funeral planning brochure below, or request a printed copy to be sent to you in the post.
Our brochure includes all the details you need surrounding our prepaid direct cremation funeral plans.
Get your free brochure sent by email or First Class post by clicking on the link below.
