Plan Beyond Tomorrow

Overview
- How It Works
- Your Details
Practical
Emotional
Health & Welfare
What's Important To You
Get Your Download

It’s important to plan for the future. Good planning helps ensure things go the way you want them to. It can also relieve stress and anxiety from situations where uncertainty can impact your loved ones; this is particularly prevalent when faced with death and dying. Planning for your end of life needn’t be scary or something you only do when faced with it. By planning in advance, your family and loved ones know your wishes and can make the process easier, ensuring the things most important to you are followed and respected. We’ve created this tool to help make end-of-life planning a little easier; it also highlights some of the options available and shines a light on other things to consider.

How It Works

Mother in bed with daughter sitting beside her at Cottage Hospice

The process

Fill out as much or as little information as you wish to and that is useful to you. You can then download a tailored Plan for the Future that contains elements that may inform your Advance Care Planning. Your information will be saved, if you do not complete and submit your information using cookies (if you accept). This means that fields you have completed will be held for up to 30 days in your current browser. If you close or shut down the tab or browser your information may be lost. You may want to share the information with your family or loved ones to make them aware of your wishes – and to make difficult conversations less so. This is down to you, and what you feel comfortable with, but we’ve seen how this can be a valuable tool when shared with friends, family, loved ones and health and social care professionals.

Your Details

Practical

Let's get all of your affairs in order; including legal, finance, assets, documentation and understanding some of the choices available to you when it comes to end of life care.

Documentation

Nurse speaking with patient at Cottage Hospice

Your documents

It’s important to be on top of where your important documents are kept. Throughout our lives, there are various legal documents that we collect, and it isn’t always easy to know where these are located, how to access them, of whether they exist at all.

Ensuring your documents are organised is the first step, then you need to confirm their existence and location. This will be extremely helpful for family, an executor under your Will, and your deputy under a Lasting Power of Attorney.

What and where

Confirm which documents you own and where they are kept (if applicable):

A little more detail

Pension

Life insurance

Funeral plan

Benefits

Legal

It's never too early to get your affairs in order

Last Will and Testament

What is it?

A Will legally outlines your wishes for the distribution of your estate, as well as the course of action after you die. It is one of the most important documents you’ll complete. You have the option to choose an executor – or multiple executors – who will carry out these instructions.

If you pass away without a Will, strict regulations come into play, determining how your money, property, and possessions are distributed. It’s important to know these might not align with your preferences and that writing a Will can save time and money and prevent family disputes as your wishes are clearly documented.

Your dependencies:

You can state who you would like to look after your dependents – including pets – in your Will. If your children are under 18, you can also appoint legal guardians. It is best to nominate a guardian to look after your child/children, even though the surviving parent would receive sole custody. Doing this will ensure your preference is legally stated.

A Gift in Will:

After you have considered your family and friends, leaving a gift in your Will to a charity can be a generous and meaningful next step. At Hospice in the Weald, a gift can make all the difference, ensuring people who need us receive comfort, dignity and compassion during the most challenging moments.

Discover our free Will writing service

Letter of Wishes

What is it?

While a letter of wishes document sits within our Legal category, it’s not actual legally binding. It’s placed here as it accompanies a Will and is written to offer guidance to the people who will deal with your estate, and any trusts held, after your death. You might also consider leaving a donation to Hospice in the Weald in this letter.

Lasting Power of Attorney

What is it?

A power of attorney is a legal tool in the form of a document that empowers you to nominate one or more individuals to assist in decision-making during times when you are incapable or prefer not to make those decisions independently. This grants someone the authority to act on your behalf and make decisions as necessary.

Find out more at gov.uk

Your Will

Letter of Wishes

Your Lasting Power of Attorney

Health & Welfare

Financial

Your financial information

Your financial information is extremely important and keeping it in one place can save lots of time and effort.

Your details

Organisation 1:

Organisation 2:

Organisation 3:

Property

A little more detail

Pension, shares, life insurance and endowment policies:

Organisation 1:

Organisation 2:

Reference 3:

Insurance policies for home contents, buildings and vehicles:

Home contents

Building

Vehicle

Vehicle 1:

Vehicle 2:

Vehicle 3:

Digital Assets

Oriana and mum Elspeth looking at postcards

What is a Digital Legacy?

Your Digital Legacy is simply everything you leave behind on the internet and your electronic devices, such as a phone or laptop. This can include your photos, videos, messages, emails, social media posts, and more.

As we spend more time online, considering what will happen to our digital assets should be a top priority. When choosing who will act as your ‘digital executor(s)’ in your Will, it’s important to consider whether they are digitally enabled, will respect your wishes, and that you have had the conversation with them. Leaving clear instructions will make things easier, and you will need to think about everything from digital subscriptions to deactivating accounts.

Access and passwords:

You need to ensure that your chosen digital executors will be able to access your online accounts. Most websites and apps that require digital authentication – ask for passwords and include your private information – enable you to add a legacy contact. Ensure you have done this for any account used to access your devices as well.

Find out more about Your Digital Legacy

Your Digital Assets

Name your legacy contacts below for your social media accounts, photo and file sharing accounts, audio and video streaming accounts, and any other suitable platforms.

Accounts

Account 1:

Account 2:

Account 3:

Understanding Care Options

Chandini on the balcony of her room at Cottage Hospice

What is Hospice Care?

If you have an illness that can’t be cured, palliative care aims to keep you comfortable by managing pain and other distressing symptoms. It takes a holistic approach, focusing on your needs, not just the illness.

In-Patient Care

Compassionate In-Patient Hospice care at the Hospice in Pembury.

Learn more

Susie, Occupational Therapist on home visit

Care and Support for You at Home

Our team supporting you in your own home and in the community.

Learn more

Living Well

A space for you and those important to you to adjust to life with a terminal illness.

Learn more

Jane, Head of Counselling & Support with a client

Emotional & Spiritual Care & Support

Counselling and our Spiritual Care is an important part of the holistic support the Hospice offers everyone.

Learn more

Health & Welfare

Advance Care Planning

Nurse with patient at Cottage Hospice in the gardens

What is Advance Care Planning?

This is the process of discussion between you and those who provide care for you, for example your nurses, doctors, care home manager, or family members. During this discussion you may wish to express some views, preferences and wishes about your future care.

We can discuss with you about Advance Care Planning at a time that is right for you and those important to you. Having an Advance Care Plan means you are involved in what your care and support, both medically and personally, means for you. This ensure it is right for you and your circumstances, as everyone is different. It can be adjusted at any time to reflect changes in your needs and wishes.

Find out more about the ResPECT process

ReSPECT

What is ReSPECT?

ReSPECT stands for Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment and is a form you fill out with your healthcare team. It gives personalised recommendations for your emergency care in case you can’t make decisions or express your wishes. This serves as a summary and helps healthcare professionals quickly decide on the best care and treatment for you.

Your document

Decision To Refuse Treatment

What is an Advance Decision?

An Advance Decision lets you specify medical treatments you don’t want if you lose the ability to decide or communicate. It’s a legally binding document, only activated when you can’t make or express decisions. Your GP and medical team should be aware of it, as they’ll include it in your medical records.

They can also assist by explaining treatment options and the consequences of refusing them. If you have both an Advance Decision and a Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), the more recent one is followed.

Learn more about the steps you can take to communicate your decisions

Your document

Advance Statement of Wishes

What is an advance statement?

An advance statement of wishes and preferences isn’t legally binding but allows you to express what is important to you, and your likes and dislikes. It is typically used in the context of healthcare, particularly for people who have long-term health conditions, disabilities, or terminal illnesses.

Advanced statements can be helpful if you lose capacity or have difficulty in communicating your wishes. The statement can include information on your beliefs and values, your dietary requirements and foods you particularly like or don’t like, as well as where you would prefer to be cared for.

Find out more about advanced statements

Your document

Care Options and Preferred Place of Death

David a patient looking at the meadow at Cottage Hospice

What to think about

When deciding on your care and treatment preferences, it’s important to consider various factors. Keep in mind that the choices you make can be modified in the future if your preferences change.

Some things to consider are:

Your religious or spiritual beliefs and whether they’re reflected in your care.
Where would you like to be looked after, and what would be your preferred place of death if you had the choice; home, a relatives’ home, a hospice, a care home, or a hospital.

Your decisions

What's Important To You

When it comes to outlining what is important to you, stating your likes and dislikes are a good place to start. Whether it’s the big things or those smaller details, if it matters to you then you’ll want those closest to you to be aware of it too. When reading the below, you may wish to note down some of your thoughts for the various categories. When doing this, think about what you’d like others to know about. Your beliefs, personal values, ambitions and preferences all come into play here.

Your Funeral Wishes

It's never too early to plan your own funeral

Your funeral

We know that considering your own funeral may feel challenging, but declaring your wishes is something we advise. It’s not necessary to have a traditional service, firstly, and some companies offer a respectful cremation without any attendees, which is more cost-effective.

If you do want a funeral service, thinking about the location, attendees, readings, music, and the service leader is a good starting point. Consider whether elements like music, songs, prayers, or readings are also right for you – and any preferences on each. You can also decide who you’d like to share thoughts about your life.

For more information about the various areas of planning your funeral, see below:

Is it too soon for me to start now?

Burial or cremation – what’s best for me?

How do I arrange a funeral?

How much will it cost me?

Funeral considerations

Funeral director and religious or spiritual community support

Service

Religion, spiritual or philosophy

Burial & cremation

Flowers and donations

Other wishes

How You Want To Be Treated

What do you like?

From your go-to TV shows and interests to how you like your eggs in the morning, you might like to outline the personal things that mean something to you.

Things You Want To Do Before You Die

Share your feelings

If there’s anything you’d like to do or experience before you die, make a note of it and ensure others know how you feel.

Get Your Download

Thank you for completing Plan Beyond Tomorrow, we hope this tool has been helpful.

Please do make the most of the help and guidance included within each section, especially relating to Hospice in the Weald's services and how we might be able to help you now or in the future. If you have any questions, call us on 01892 820500.

To ensure you have your answers saved, please download your form using the below button.

Overview

How It Works

The process

Your Details

Practical

Documentation

Your documents

What and where

A little more detail

Legal

It's never too early to get your affairs in order

It's never too early to get your affairs in order

Last Will and Testament

What is it?

Your dependencies:

A Gift in Will:

Letter of Wishes

What is it?

Lasting Power of Attorney

What is it?

Your Will

Letter of Wishes

Your Lasting Power of Attorney

Financial

Your financial information

Your details

Property

A little more detail

Digital Assets

What is a Digital Legacy?

Access and passwords:

Your Digital Assets

Understanding Care Options

What is Hospice Care?

Your options at the Hospice

In-Patient Care

Care and Support for You at Home

Living Well

Emotional & Spiritual Care & Support

Emotional

Creating Memories

Why create memories?

Our memory making offering includes:

Your Memory Making List

Conversations With Loved Ones

Does it help?

What should you talk about?

Things you want to communicate

Ethical Wills & Final Messages

What is an Ethical Will?

What are final messages?

The key details

Health & Welfare

Advance Care Planning

What is Advance Care Planning?

ReSPECT

What is ReSPECT?

Your document

Decision To Refuse Treatment

What is an Advance Decision?

Your document

Advance Statement of Wishes

What is an advance statement?

Your document

Care Options and Preferred Place of Death

What to think about

Your decisions

What's Important To You

Your Funeral Wishes

It's never too early to plan your own funeral

It's never too early to plan your own funeral

Your funeral

Funeral considerations

Service

Burial & cremation

Flowers and donations

Other wishes

How You Want To Be Treated

What do you like?