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Marie Curie has published a end of life checklist To encourage the public to think about their end of life care.
The list, compiled by physicians, includes everything from wills to wills and what we want to happen with pets and social media accounts when we die.
The document has five categories, including legal and money matters, people, pets and things important to me, an advance care plan, my funeral, a celebration or celebration of life, and creating and leaving behind memories.
The end-of-life organization said a recent survey found that most people (56 percent) put off thinking about end-of-life care until their health gets significantly worse or they receive a final diagnosis, but nearly two-thirds (63 percent) admit that delaying could cause too much stress in times of crisis.
Nearly four in 10 people (38 percent) also indicated they did not know where to get information or support about end-of-life planning.
Survey conducted by Opinion Matters on more than 4,200 people Marie Curiefound that 36 per cent of people have not given any thought to their care at the end of life and almost one in four (26 per cent) put it off until they are at least 65 before thinking about it.
About 27 percent admitted to watching Death as a taboo subject, and 31 percent said it was too scary to think about.
Nearly a quarter of people said they avoid the topic altogether because they don’t want to burden their families with difficult conversations.
Marie Curie nurse Emma-Mae Ward said that while planning may not make illness or death easier, “the fact that there is conversation and everyone is clear about what people’s wishes are takes a lot of pressure off at a very difficult time”.
The list includes suggestions for making a list of things the person wants to do before death, and considering leaving letters or video and voice messages for loved ones.
Ms Ward said: “Making sure your plans and preferences are written down and shared with medical professionals will greatly increase the chances of you or your loved one getting the life you wanted.
“Where you want care from, who you want to visit, religious traditions you want to follow or just the music you want to play in your room.”