So, you're going on a trip? What's your trip plan?

Originally published October 23, 2019

So you're going on a trip! How exciting! You've been planning for months and have thought about all the things!

Where you will go; will you travel by train, plane, or automobile? Where you will stay, what sites you'll see and the people you'll visit.

Not only will you plan for where you're headed you will also plan for all the things you'll leave behind. Someone to check the house, water your plants, pick up the mail; feed the cat; and you'll even leave a long list of written instructions for everything to be in good hands while you're away.

The planning for this type of trip seems so automatic and so easy, doesn't it? And yet ...

What about that Final Trip Plan? You know, that final trip no one wants to talk about, but each one of us will take ... our death. 50% of Canadians do not have any plan in place for this. Every one of us is going to die, yet so few of us actually have a plan for our last and final trip - our death.

Not only are we not concerned about where we will go, or how, we don't even make plans for everything and everyone we leave behind. So we'll make sure our plants are watered regularly while we're headed to Italy, but we won't take care of our loved ones when we die and when we know this trip WILL happen at some point and we will NOT be returning? Somehow, this doesn't seem quite right, does it?

So how do we prepare to die? What is required? What should we include in our Final Trip Plan?

To create a good end of life Trip Plan you should consider the following:

1. Will

2. Enduring Power of Attorney

3. Life Insurance & Financial Estate Plan

4. Funeral/Burial/Cremation Plans - Your After Death Care

5. Advance Care Directives - Your wishes for medical care and support

6. Representation Agreement - who will speak for you, if you cannot speak for yourself

7. Digital Legacy Plan - online accounts, passwords and wishes

8. Your Legacy - letters, momentoes, final words ...

9. Central file and location for all important documents, bank, and credit card accounts

10. List of all those you want to be contacted at your death, who, when, and how

Beyond documentation, is the conversations. Plan, prepare, and have the necessary conversations with your loved ones; ensuring they are aware of, and understand your wishes. By doing so, they know what you want, and can then support your wishes at your end of life.

As a Death Doula/Consultant I can assist you in creating your Final Trip Plan. We will dig deep and discover, or revisit your values, and determine what matters most to you at your end of life. This will be the foundation on which we build your plan and prepare you for the necessary conversations with those you love. A well-prepared plan will be the greatest gift you can give your loved ones. Start planning today! There is no time to waste. We never know when our final flight will be departing.

If you would like assistance in preparing your end of life plans, please contact me at karenttjourney@gmail.com

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About the author:

Karen Hendrickson is an Elevation Coach, focused on helping others to rewrite their life story, befriend their mortality, and find the richness and magic that lives at the intersection of our lives where life and death meet. When we allow our authentic self permission to shine our life becomes full of MAGIC and GREATNESS. Contact karenttjourney@gmail.com and start working with her today!