Marie Curie charity unveils End-of-Life Checklist
This follows a poll, which the charity says shows many people are unprepared for the final chapter of life
One of the UK's leading end-of-life charities has curated a practical checklist for those at the end of their life.
The charity Marie Curie has worked with clinicians to unveil the list, which sets out everything the charity believes should be considered to help terminally ill patients and their families get adequate support and reduce their stress.
The list includes five categories: 'legal and money matters', 'people, pets and things important to me', 'an advance care plan', 'my funeral, a wake or celebration of life', and 'making and leaving behind memories'.
Matt Starling, Business Change Lead for Marie Curie, has been affected by terminal illness through his own family.
Starling said: "It's easy for us all to say, 'Oh, well it's the only thing in life, we're all going to die at some point,' but actually, there are some things that we can control - how would I like to mark my own passing, or what would I like to do to make life easier for the rest of the family."
The charity said a new poll shows 56% of respondents did not plan to think about end-of-life plans until their health significantly deteriorated or they received a terminal diagnosis.
63% of those who responded to the same survey said they knew putting it off could create added stress at an already difficult time.
Almost 1 in 4 respondents avoid the topic altogether, as they don't want to burden their family with a difficult topic, according to Marie Curie.
Starling also emphasised the importance of having difficult conversations about end-of-life care early.
"My daughter's in her early twenties, and we've had some conversations.
"Heaven forbid this is not something that she'll have to deal with for many, many years, but why not talk about it now?"
Marie Curie, which was founded in the same year as the NHS, provides free palliative care both at home and in hospice, as well as information and support.