Planning during hospice: a family guide

Planning during hospice is not something most families think about. Hospice is associated with caregiving, with grief, with being present. Planning feels like it belongs somewhere else.

But the hospice period, however difficult, is one of the most valuable windows families have for getting organized before the aftermath of death arrives. The days immediately after someone dies involve dozens of urgent decisions under maximum stress. The tasks completed during hospice are tasks that will not have to be done under those conditions.

What this guide covers

This is a practical guide to the organizational and legal work that families can do while a family member is in hospice: the documents to gather, the decisions to make, the conversations to have, and the systems to put in place. It is not about the medical aspects of hospice. Those are covered in the guide to preparing when a parent enters hospice care.

Documents to locate and organize

The most common frustration in the weeks after a death is not knowing where things are. Start here.

Essential documents to locate:

• Will or living trust
• Advance directive and healthcare proxy designation
• Life insurance policies (include policy numbers and company names)
• Retirement account statements (401k, IRA, pension)
• Bank and investment account information
• Any pre-paid funeral arrangements or burial plots
• Deed to property
• Vehicle titles
• Social Security card and Medicare card
• Birth certificate and marriage certificate (if applicable)
• Military discharge papers (DD-214) if the person served
• Any trust documents

If any of these do not exist yet and your family member still has decision-making capacity, the hospice period is the time to complete them. The hospice social worker can provide referrals to estate attorneys for wills and powers of attorney.

Once located, store originals safely and make sure at least one other person knows where they are. Digital copies stored in a secure document vault are also useful.

Decisions to make while you can involve them

If your family member is still alert and able to participate, there are decisions that are much easier to make together than to guess at later.

Funeral and burial preferences:

• Burial or cremation?
• What kind of service, if any?
• Any specific music, readings, or wishes for the ceremony?
• Is there a funeral home already selected or pre-paid?

Estate and distribution decisions:

• Are there specific items they want to give to specific people?
• Are there relationships that need repair or conversations that need to happen?
• Is there a family member they trust to handle the estate, and have they been told?

Digital accounts:

• What accounts exist?
• Are there passwords or access information somewhere?
• Are there accounts that contain important memories (photos, messages) that someone should know about?

These conversations are hard to initiate. The hospice social worker can help facilitate them if direct family conversation is difficult.

Selecting a funeral home

You do not need to make all funeral arrangements during hospice. But identifying which funeral home you plan to use saves significant time and distress immediately after death.

A few things to do now:

• Ask the hospice team if they have a list of providers they work with. Hospice organizations often have relationships with local funeral homes and can provide references.
• Call one or two funeral homes and ask for their General Price List. The FTC Funeral Rule requires every funeral home to provide this. It allows comparison without any commitment.
• Confirm whether your family member has any pre-paid funeral arrangements. If they do, contact the funeral home to review what is covered.

The how to choose a funeral home guide covers what to ask and what to look for.

What the executor needs

If your family member has a will, someone is named as executor. That person will be responsible for probate, paying debts, and distributing assets after death. If that person is a family member, a few things help them prepare:

• Make sure they know they are named as executor
• Give them access to or knowledge of the location of the will and key financial documents
• Have a conversation about what is involved (the hospice social worker or an estate attorney can help explain the role if it is unfamiliar)
• Make sure they have the contact information for the estate attorney if one is involved

If your family member does not have a will, whoever manages the estate will be operating under state intestacy laws. An estate attorney can explain what that means in your specific state.

The provider and service contacts list

Create a simple document with contact information for everyone who will need to be notified or involved after the death:

• The funeral home
• The hospice agency (24-hour line and primary nurse)
• The primary care physician
• Any specialists
• The estate attorney or CPA if applicable
• The employer or pension administrator if the person was employed or receiving a pension
• Social Security (the funeral home typically notifies them, but confirm)
• Key family members and close friends who are not already in the loop

Having this list ready is one of the most practically useful things you can do during hospice.

Preparing the people who will help afterward

The immediate aftermath of a death involves a flood of tasks arriving at a moment of maximum grief. Distributing that load before it arrives makes it survivable.

If there are family members or close friends who will help, have a conversation now about who will handle what. Some areas to think about:

• Who will coordinate with the funeral home?
• Who will notify extended family and friends?
• Who will manage the practical household (if your family member was living independently)?
• Who will be the point of contact for the estate administration process?
• Who will support the primary caregiver in the immediate aftermath?

This does not need to be a formal plan. An email thread or a conversation works. What matters is that people are not figuring it out from scratch in the days after the death.

Frequently asked questions

Is it appropriate to plan funeral arrangements before someone dies?

Yes, and doing so is widely regarded as a kindness to the family. Pre-arranged funeral plans ensure your wishes are followed and remove a significant decision burden from grieving family members. Pre-paid arrangements also lock in prices and protect against inflation.

What if the person does not want to discuss these things?

This is common. Some people are not able to engage with end-of-life planning, even during hospice. If that is the case, do what you can with available information: locate documents, identify key contacts, have conversations with siblings or other family members. The absence of explicit preferences does not mean the planning work cannot happen.

How much time does the average hospice enrollment provide for this kind of preparation?

The average hospice stay is three to four weeks. Some families have months. Plan on having less time than you expect, and prioritize accordingly. Documents and beneficiary information come first; everything else follows.

Can the hospice social worker help with any of this?

Yes. Hospice social workers are often the most practical support available to families during this period. They can help facilitate conversations, provide referrals to estate attorneys, assist with advance directives, and help families think through what needs to be done. Ask explicitly.

What Passings can help with

Passings is designed specifically for the work this guide describes. The guided checklist covers all the key tasks in order, and the document vault gives you a secure place to store and share everything your family will need. Start a free plan at Passings whenever you are ready. Whenever you're ready, we'll be here.

Related resources

• End-of-life documents every hospice family needs
• How to prepare when a parent enters hospice care
• What to do when someone dies: the first steps
• How to choose a funeral home

Passings is not a law firm and does not provide legal or medical advice. This article is for general informational purposes. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed attorney or estate planning professional.

Disclaimer — For informational purposes only

This article is compiled from publicly available resources and is provided solely for general informational purposes. It does not constitute and should not be relied upon as legal, financial, tax, insurance, medical, psychological, or other professional advice. Passings is a planning and organizational platform, not a licensed advisory service, and no attorney-client, financial advisor-client, or other professional relationship is created by reading this content.

Laws, regulations, financial products, and professional standards vary by state and change over time. Passings makes no representations or warranties — express or implied — regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or suitability of any information contained herein. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Passings disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, or harm arising from your use of or reliance on this content. Always consult a qualified, licensed professional — including an attorney, financial advisor, CPA, or licensed counselor — before making decisions specific to your situation.

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