When someone you love is approaching the end of life, paperwork is probably one of the last things you want to think about. You want to spend time together. You want them to be comfortable. You want to be present for conversations, memories, and the moments that matter most.
At the same time, families often face important legal and financial questions.
Who can make medical decisions if your loved one cannot speak for themselves? Where are their important documents? Who will handle bills and accounts? What happens to their home or belongings? Does Medicare cover hospice care? Have funeral arrangements already been made?
These conversations can feel difficult because they ask families to prepare for something they may not feel ready to face. But having a plan can reduce confusion later and help make sure your loved one’s wishes are respected.
You do not need to answer every question at once. Start with the most important decisions and work through the rest as you are able.
Start With Your Loved One’s Wishes
Before focusing on documents and accounts, start with the person at the center of everything.
What matters most to them?
If they become unable to communicate, who do they trust to speak for them? What kind of medical care would they want? Are there treatments they feel strongly about? Where would they prefer to receive care when possible?
These conversations do not have to happen all at once. For many families, it is easier to talk a little at a time.
If your loved one is able and willing to participate, give them the opportunity to guide the discussion. The goal is to understand their wishes clearly enough that family members and care providers are not left guessing later.
Who Will Make Health Care Decisions?
One of the most important decisions is choosing who should make medical decisions if your loved one becomes unable to make or communicate those decisions.
In Arizona, a Health Care Power of Attorney allows someone to name a health care agent.
That person should:
- Understand your loved one’s wishes and values
- Be willing to make difficult decisions
- Communicate clearly with physicians and family members
- Feel comfortable asking questions
- Be someone your loved one trusts
An alternate agent can also be named in case the first person is unavailable. Arizona’s Attorney General provides Life Care Planning resources, including Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will forms.
Once an agent has been selected, make sure they know. A conversation in advance gives them time to understand what your loved one wants and ask questions before they are placed in a stressful situation.
Review the Living Will and Other Medical Directives
A Living Will gives a person an opportunity to document their preferences for medical treatment if they later become unable to communicate. Depending on the situation, it may address questions involving life-sustaining treatment, comfort-focused care, artificial nutrition or hydration, and other end-of-life preferences.
Families should also understand that a Living Will, DNR, and POLST are different documents.
Arizona’s Life Care Planning resources include:
- Health Care Power of Attorney
- Living Will
- Prehospital Medical Care Directive
- POLST information
The Prehospital Medical Care Directive is commonly associated with DNR instructions and has specific requirements under Arizona law.
Your loved one’s physician or hospice team can help explain which medical forms may be appropriate. The important thing is to know which documents exist, where they are kept, and who should have access to them.
Review Financial Power of Attorney
Medical decision-making and financial decision-making are separate.
A loved one may eventually need help managing financial responsibilities such as:
- Paying household expenses
- Managing bank accounts
- Handling insurance paperwork
- Reviewing recurring payments
- Managing property-related obligations
- Communicating with financial institutions
A financial power of attorney may allow someone to handle certain matters while the person is still living.
The right arrangement depends on the individual’s circumstances. Families dealing with significant assets, business ownership, trusts, or complicated family situations should consider speaking with an Arizona estate-planning or elder-law attorney.
If a financial power of attorney already exists, review it. Make sure the named person is still available, willing, and appropriate for the role. Documents created many years ago may no longer reflect the person’s current wishes.
Locate the Will, Trust, and Estate Documents
If your loved one has a will or trust, know where the current documents are located.
Ask:
- Is there a current will?
- Has a trust been created?
- Where are the original documents stored?
- Who is named to handle the estate?
- Which attorney prepared the documents?
- Have major family or financial changes occurred since they were completed?
Life changes. People marry, divorce, have children, lose family members, buy property, sell businesses, or move assets.
If estate documents have not been reviewed for years, an estate-planning attorney can help determine whether updates are appropriate. Avoid making handwritten changes to legal documents without professional guidance.
Check Beneficiary Designations
A will does not necessarily control every financial asset. Life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and certain other accounts may transfer according to beneficiary designations.These are easy to forget because they may have been completed years earlier.
Review beneficiary information directly with the appropriate financial institution or insurance provider.
This is especially important after major life changes such as marriage, divorce, the death of a beneficiary, or changes in family relationships.
Organize Important Financial Information
One of the most helpful things a family can do is create an organized record of important financial information.
That may include:
- Bank accounts
- Retirement and investment accounts
- Life insurance
- Health insurance
- Mortgage information
- Property and vehicle records
- Pension information
- Social Security records
- Tax documents
- Business interests
- Regular household expenses
- Contact information for financial professionals
Keep sensitive information secure and make sure the appropriate trusted person knows where to find it. The goal is simple: if someone needs to step in, they should know what exists and where the records are located.
Review Bills and Automatic Payments
Make a list of recurring expenses.
This may include:
- Utilities
- Insurance premiums
- Mortgage or rent
- Loan payments
- Memberships
- Subscriptions
- Property expenses
Document which accounts are used to pay them. This becomes especially helpful if someone else needs to manage finances.
After a death, avoid immediately closing every account or canceling every service. Utilities, insurance, and other expenses may need to continue while property and estate matters are handled.
The person responsible for the estate, along with an attorney or financial professional, can help determine what should stay active and what can be closed.
Understand What Hospice May Cost
Financial concerns sometimes keep families from asking about hospice because they assume care will be expensive. For eligible Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare Part A covers hospice care when Medicare’s requirements are met.
Covered hospice services generally have no patient charge, although certain limited costs can apply for medications and inpatient respite care.
Families should also understand that hospice coverage generally does not pay for room and board simply because someone receives hospice while living in an assisted living facility, nursing facility, or similar setting.
Before hospice begins, ask:
- Which services are covered?
- Which medications will hospice provide?
- What medical equipment is included?
- Are there out-of-pocket expenses?
- What should we do if our loved one’s condition changes?
- How are medical needs unrelated to the hospice diagnosis handled?
At Wings of Hope Hospice & Palliative Care, families can schedule a complimentary care assessment to better understand hospice eligibility, available services, and what to expect.
Talk About the Home and Personal Belongings
Some of the most emotional decisions involve personal belongings. A wedding ring, watch, family photograph, piece of furniture, or holiday decoration may have tremendous sentimental value.
If your loved one feels comfortable discussing these things, ask whether there are specific items they would like certain people to have.
Formal estate distribution should still follow applicable legal documents, but these conversations can help families understand the meaning behind certain possessions. They can also lead to stories that might otherwise be lost.
Ask About Funeral or Memorial Wishes
Funeral and memorial planning can feel especially difficult because it makes the future feel very real. Still, knowing a loved one’s preferences can make things easier for the family later.
Ask whether they have:
- A preferred funeral home
- Burial or cremation preferences
- Cemetery arrangements
- Prepaid funeral plans
- Life insurance for final expenses
- Religious or cultural preferences
- Ideas for a memorial or celebration of life
You do not need to plan every detail. Even knowing the general direction your loved one prefers can give the family valuable guidance.
Do Not Forget Digital Accounts
A large part of our financial and personal lives now exists online. Create an inventory of important digital accounts such as:
- Online banking
- Cloud storage
- Social media
- Subscription services
- Business accounts
Also consider important digital files.
Where are family photographs stored? Are legal documents saved on a computer? Are there online accounts containing records the family may need later?
Families should follow each provider’s authorized procedures for accessing or managing accounts.
Decide Who Will Handle What
One person does not have to manage everything. Different people may take on different roles.
A health care agent may communicate with physicians. A financial agent may handle bills and accounts. An attorney may guide the family through estate matters. Hospice professionals can focus on the patient’s care and support the family through the process.
Clear responsibilities can prevent confusion and reduce pressure on any one family member.
Know When to Ask for Help
Most families are not experts in end-of-life planning. It is normal to need help.
- An estate-planning or elder-law attorney can address questions involving wills, trusts, powers of attorney, property, and estate administration.
- A financial advisor, accountant, or tax professional can help with retirement accounts, taxes, investments, and financial planning.
- The hospice team can help families understand care, medications, equipment, symptoms, caregiver needs, and what to expect as a loved one’s condition changes.
Arizona families can also access free Life Care Planning forms through the Arizona Attorney General.
A Simple End-of-Life Planning Checklist
You do not need to complete everything in one day. Start with the decisions that matter most.
- Talk with your loved one about their medical wishes
- Confirm who can make health care decisions
- Locate Living Wills and advance directives
- Review applicable DNR or POLST documents with the medical team
- Determine whether financial power of attorney documents exist
- Locate the current will, trust, and estate documents
- Review beneficiary information
- Organize financial and insurance records
- Create a list of recurring expenses
- Record contact information for attorneys and financial professionals
- Discuss funeral or memorial preferences
- Identify important digital accounts and files
- Make sure trusted family members know where important documents are stored
Frequently Asked Questions
When should families start these conversations?
What legal documents should someone have before hospice?
Does hospice help with legal paperwork?
Does Medicare pay for hospice?
Do family members have to pay someone’s debts after they die?
What if my loved one does not want to talk about these things?
Preparing Today Can Make Tomorrow Easier
Talking about legal documents, finances, medical wishes, and final arrangements is hard. These conversations can also give your loved one a stronger voice in what happens and give your family clearer direction during an emotional time.
You do not need a perfect plan. You simply want the most important wishes understood, the right people identified, and essential information easy to find.
Once those pieces are in place, families can spend less time searching for answers and more time being present with the person they love.
You Do Not Have to Navigate Hospice Alone
If your family is considering hospice care, you do not have to have everything figured out before asking for help.
Wings of Hope Hospice & Palliative Care supports patients and families throughout the Phoenix area with care centered on comfort, dignity, and quality of life.
A complimentary care assessment can help your family better understand hospice eligibility, available services, and what the next steps may look like.
Call Wings of Hope Hospice & Palliative Care at 602-971-0304 to speak with the care team.
