Use this time to organize what matters.
When the time comes, your family will already have what they need. Build a clear plan at your own pace, with whoever you want involved.
If a loss is coming soon
Roughly, where are things?
A diagnosis, a turn in care, the final days, or your own. A handful of things are only possible while they're still here — we'll organize the most pressing items for you, in the order that matters.
Roughly the stage
Pick the stage that fits. The list under it is what's actually possible to do now.
These steps are general guidance only — not legal, medical, or financial advice. Every situation is different. Consult a licensed attorney, physician, or financial advisor for decisions specific to your circumstances.
Once those are done
The rest is presence.
After the legal pieces and the wishes conversation, what's left is mostly being together. Things people often forget are allowed.
- RestCaregivers crash. Eat. Sleep. Ask for help with cooking, errands, sitting with them so you can sleep.
- VisitsFamily and friends visiting matters more than you think. Even ten minutes. "You should come" is the right sentence.
- Photos and recordingsVoice memos, last photos, short videos. Not for social media — for you. You will want them later.
- PetsPets often sense it. Bring them close when possible. Plan now for who takes them after.
- LettersLetters from them, or to them, are often kept for decades. A few sentences is enough.
- QuietSilence at the bedside is also fine. Holding a hand counts. Reading aloud counts.
For the people who'll be here
Share your legacy.
Letters, recordings, photographs, stories — small offerings of self that family and friends often keep for decades. Add them when there's a quiet hour. Released the way you choose, to the people you choose.
The Legacy Center
- Letters to specific people — sealed until you say
- Voice memos and short videos — easier than you'd think
- Photographs, with the stories that go with them
- A list of who-knows-what, kept in one place
- Free to start. Your people only see what you release.
How Passings works
Step 1: Answer a few questions
Faith tradition, family situation, and state — so your checklist fits your life.
Step 2: Get your personalized plan
Tasks tailored to your situation, organized into clear categories.
Step 3: Complete at your own pace
Save and return anytime. Everything auto-saves. No deadlines.
Step 4: Share when you're ready
Invite family to view your plan — they'll know exactly what to do.
Everything included
What matters at the diagnosis stage isn't what matters in the final week. A short setup tells your plan where you are; it adjusts as you go, and remembers what's already done.
Personalized checklist
Tasks adapt to your faith, family situation, and state laws. Complete at your own pace.
Secure document vault
Store wills, powers of attorney, insurance policies — encrypted and accessible to your family when needed.
Provider marketplace
Research funeral homes, attorneys, and counselors ahead of time — no pressure, no obligation.
Legacy studio
Write letters to loved ones, record voice or video messages, attach photos — preserved privately until you choose to share.
Build your plan
- Adapts to where you are — months, weeks, days, or your own
- Distinguishes what only the dying person can do
- Shares progress with a sibling, partner, or executor
- Free to start. No credit card. Email only when you're ready to save.
When it would help
Vetted help, when it would help.
End-of-life work is hard to do alone. These are people who do this every day — for the legal pieces, the conversations, the logistics, and the moments of rest in between.
Listings are ranked by verified pricing, response time, and reviews — not by placement fees.
A few common questions
Things people ask at this stage.
When should we call hospice?
Hospice is for prognoses of six months or less — but you don't have to wait until the doctor suggests it. You can ask directly: "Would my parent qualify for hospice?" Most families wish they had called sooner. Hospice is usually free under Medicare.
What's the difference between healthcare proxy, POA, and advance directive?
Healthcare proxy: the person who makes medical decisions when the patient can't. Power of attorney: the person who handles financial matters. Advance directive: the patient's own written instructions — DNR, intubation, comfort care. All three are different documents, and all three are useful. An estate attorney does them in a single sitting.
Can we plan a funeral now, before they die?
Yes. Pre-need arrangements lock in choices and prices and remove one hard decision later. Some patients want to be part of the choice; others don't. Either is fine.
What if they don't want to talk about any of this?
Don't push. The conversation often opens once they see you're calm. Start with logistical questions ("where's the safe deposit key?") rather than wishes — those tend to feel less heavy. A hospice social worker or death doula can help open the conversation if it's stuck.
How do we get their passwords?
Ask while they can still tell you. Apple ID and iPhone passcodes especially — these are nearly impossible to retrieve later without legal proceedings. Store them in your Passings document vault so the right people can reach them when the time comes.