End-of-Life Needs

The Cremation Process: How Cremation Works

A step-by-step guide to planning for a cremation.

Burial and Cremation Alternatives

Our guide to the most common alternatives to standard burial or cremation.

Burial vs. Cremation: Pros, Cons, and How to Decide the Best Option

“Do I want to be buried or cremated?” is a decision we all must face in the end. 

How to Pre-Plan a Funeral

Planning your own funeral may not be easy, but deciding your funeral arrangements in advance can give peace of mind to your family when the time comes. Learn why funeral pre-planning is helpful, then use our detailed checklist to guide you through the steps of pre-planning a funeral. 

How Funeral Directors Can Help a Family

A funeral director can be one of your most important allies in the days and weeks after a loved one's death. Whether the funeral was prepared for years in advance, or the death was unexpected and you're making all the arrangements in a grief-stricken hurry, there's so much you can lean on a funeral director for. Here are eight important tasks a funeral director helps a family with.

What Makes a Good Funeral?

Have you ever been to a really good funeral? No, that doesn't have to be an oxymoron — a good funeral is a real thing, and it's something we should all hope to achieve for ourselves and our loved ones.

What Is a Living Funeral?

Celebrating life before the end lets everyone share in the love.

End-of-Life Signs and Symptoms

When someone is approaching death, especially an elderly person or someone with a terminal illness, their body and behavior go through a number of changes. Recognizing these changes can help you understand your loved one's journey as their life comes to an end.

How to Find the Best Burial Insurance Policy

What final expenses does burial insurance cover? And is funeral insurance right for you?

What Does Next of Kin Mean?

In general, next of kin means one's closest living blood relatives. The term has important legal meaning in regard to inheritance rights and medical decisions.

How Much Does the Average Funeral Cost?

The average funeral with burial costs $8,755, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. But what does that include, what does it not include, and how much can it vary?  

What Is a Living Will or DNR Order?

A living will is a document you can create that details what lifesaving medical procedures you do or don't want performed on you in the event of your terminal illness or injury. It's used when you are unable to speak your wishes.

What Is a Green Burial or Natural Funeral?

The basic point of a natural or "green" burial is to tread as lightly on the earth as possible with the way we lay a body to rest.

How to Shop for a Funeral Home

Compare costs and services to figure out what makes the most sense for your family.

Five Ways to Cover Funeral Costs in Advance

Banks, insurance providers, and funeral homes all offer solutions for pre-planning funeral expenses.

What is a HIPAA Release and Why Do I Need One?

This document allows family members to access your medical care information.

What Is Durable POA for Finances?

This power-of-attorney directive specifies who can make financial decisions if you're incapacitated.

What Is Durable POA for Health Care?

This power-of-attorney directive specifies who can make medical decisions if you're incapacitated.

Taking Care of the Last Budget First

Including a funeral in your financial plan can save your family extra stress.

Take the Time to Talk

For most of us, talking about end-of-life issues with loved ones isn’t easy. But it can be a rich and rewarding experience that connects families and strengthens relationships.

The Man Who Threw His Own Funeral

First, he published a "nobituary" while he was still around to see it.

Caring for a Terminally Ill Loved One: First Take Care of Yourself

Self-care takes a back seat when we care for dying loved ones. But it's one of the most important considerations in an emotionally and physically harrowing time.

What It's Like To Care for a Terminally Ill Child

In many ways, Beth Bischoff-Taylor is like any other mom of a young child. She shares lots of pictures and videos of her son, Miles, on Facebook. She excitedly trumpets his milestones and achievements. She wakes up extra early to get to the gym before his day begins. She is busy, busy, busy, struggling to fit in a lunch date with a friend or a Target run.

Wishes Granted at the End of Life

If you're touched by the mission of Make-a-Wish, we think you'll appreciate Twilight Wish Foundation, making dreams come true for elders nearing the end of life.

JJ the Hospice Therapy Dog Lends a Helping Paw

Dogs can provide comfort to hospice patients and their families, or even to people who are grieving at funerals.

What Are Your Options for a Green Funeral?

Five approaches for a more environmentally friendly end of life.

What It's Like to Comfort the Dying

is a series dedicated to opening conversations around death and dying, and how acknowledging our mortality can help us live better. In this interview, we learn from the unique perspective of a chaplain working in hospice.

Massage Therapy at the End of Life

Today's hospices are adding new therapies to bring their patients comfort and relief in their final days. One of these therapies is massage. We talked to Tami Legler-Roberts, a hospice massage therapist, about how she discovered a passion for helping patients at the end of their lives.

A Hospice Social Worker on Grief and Empathy

This MJHS hospice social worker has walked a few miles in his patients' shoes.

How to Write a Living Will

Your living will is the final word if you are unable to communicate a choice due to illness or injury.

When Doctor Becomes Patient

Kate Granger, a doctor who was diagnosed with terminal cancer three years ago, has made it her mission to make treatment more compassionate. She was kind enough to talk with Legacy about what she’s learned from living with terminal illness—and how doctors can better serve their patients.

8 Lessons from a Terminally Ill Superhero

Dov Siporin changed the way thousands of people think about death.

Terminally Ill Death-with-Dignity Advocate Ends Own Life

Brittany Maynard made news with plans to end her life, due to a terminal illness Nov. 1. She was back in the news with the announcement Oct. 24 that she has completed her bucket list.