End-of-life decisions Whakataunga hinganga

Your will

It is important to have a will that clearly says what you would like to happen after you die. Having an up-to-date will makes the process much smoother for your whānau after you die. It also helps avoid any drawn-out processes or disputes.

Your will can include a range of information and wishes. Some things you might include are: 

• what you would like to happen to your body (whether you would prefer to be cremated or buried) 
• your funeral arrangements, including specific details for your funeral or memorial service, such as songs, readings, poems or flowers 
• how you would like your estate divided (including your property, money and personal belongings)
• what should happen to any dependants. 

You can make a will by:

• contacting your lawyer
• contacting the Public Trust
• creating one yourself.

Making a will — Public Trustexternal link

There are many will templates available online. The Community Law website tells you how to make sure any will you create yourself is valid. 

Making a will — Community Lawexternal link

Enduring power of attorney

Arranging an enduring power of attorney (EPA) means appointing someone to make decisions for you if you become unable to make them for yourself. Having an EPA means your wishes are more likely to be respected because you have chosen in advance people you trust who will make decisions in your best interest. 

If something happens to you and you do not have an EPA, it can be a stressful and expensive process for your whānau to apply to the Family Court to be able to make decisions on your behalf.  

There are 2 types of EPA:

• property
• personal care and welfare.

Property EPA

This covers decisions relating to your financial assets, including:

• arranging benefits
• paying bills
• buying and selling assets
• taking care of bank accounts.  

A property EPA can come into effect before you lose the ability to make decisions for yourself, and you can choose more than one person for this.  

Personal care and welfare EPA

This covers decisions relating to health and wellbeing, including:

• medical treatment
• health and welfare
• where you live.  

You can only have one person for this type of EPA. Talk to your lawyer about how to arrange an EPA.

Enduring power of attorney — New Zealand Governmentexternal link

Guardianship

If you have have dependent tamariki you may need to think about who will care for them once you have died. Talk to your lawyer about arranging formal guardianship. This makes it clear who you want to make decisions about the care of your tamariki.

While you can still make your wishes known, it is helpful to let people know what medical care you want if you become unwell. You may want to do this with the help of your healthcare provider. They can talk to you about advance care planning.

Advance care planning is the process of thinking and talking about your values, goals and preferences for your health care now and in the future. It helps you to understand what the future might hold, and indicate your preference around what health care you would or would not want, including end-of-life care.

Advance care planning — New Zealand Governmentexternal link

This discussion can include issues such as:

• what cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) you want (or do not want)
• what active medical treatment you want (or do not want)
• your preference about where you would like to die.

As you approach the end of your life, you might think about things you wish you had done or experienced. They can be as simple as trying a new food or as adventurous as travelling to a place you have never visited.

Doing some of these things can become more important when you know you have limited time left.

Planning a bucket list can help you focus on the things that are most important to you at this time in your life.

You can choose things that you would like to do, or do with support, which are important to you and you can achieve.

Talk with your friends and whānau about what you would like at your funeral or memorial service. This will make it easier for them to arrange this at a time when they will be grieving for you.

If you choose to have a funeral, it may be a time when people come together to celebrate your life. It can be important for them to reflect on your life and how you affected their lives.

Some of the things you might want to arrange or decide are:

• whether you want to be cremated or buried, and what you would like to happen to your remains
• the funeral director you want to use
• where your funeral will be held
• what flowers or music you would like
• what type of coffin you would prefer
• who you would like to speak at your service
• what special poems, songs or readings you would like
• what videos or photos you want to be shown.

Planning a funeral or memorial

People want to be remembered in different ways. These are just some ideas.

Involve friends and whānau in gathering together old photographs and arranging them in an album that shows the progress of your life.

If there is movie or video footage you are fond of, have it copied to a digital format for future generations to enjoy. You can find businesses that do this by searching online for 'video transfer'.

Tell your own story with memories of specific events that you may not have told your whānau about. You can also include stories that everyone has loved and enjoyed over the years. You can record these stories in your own voice, or you may wish to write them down.

Put together a memory box, with items from your life that people can remember you by. Doing this with whānau and friends will create a time for telling stories, and perhaps telling them things you may never have spoken about before.