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The different aspects of end of life:

Emotional

It goes without saying that end of life and bereavement is an emotional experience. The Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross developed the "5 stages of grief" model through her pioneering work in death and dying. Her stages reflected what she observed as the different stages of grief people experience when they are dying; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

Her work has since been incorporated into many grief literature and therapy, extending beyond the dying, and today including the bereaved. When you are facing the end of your life or the loss of a loved one, you can expect to feel many different things at different times. The important point to remember is that you are not alone. There are many resources and services available to you, including the work of an End of Life Doula, or Death Doula. You can find more information about them here: https://inelda.org/

Physical

The physical aspects of death and dying can be scary and uncomfortable to think about. Decisions such as what you would like to experience during your death, what will happen to your body after you die, whether or not you want to be resuscitated in some circumstances, and whether you might want to refuse any medications in the future, are all tough decisions that are worth making early in life before such matters become beyond your control. Take a look at the Advance Planning section of this advice page to find out more about the different physical aspects of end of life.

Spiritual

Regardless of whether you are spiritual, religious, or not, it is worth contemplating the spiritual aspects of death in advance of your end of life, and that of your loved ones. For example, if you are not a spiritual person, you might not wish to hear religious family members reading spiritual text when you are dying. If you are a spiritual person, you might want a particular member of your faith community at your deathbed, a scripture read out, or chant, mantra, prayer, or song played or sung to you, or items of spiritual significance placed beside you. Your end of life is about you, but if you don't communicate your spiritual wishes early enough when you are able to, it may become too late. This is also the case for any spiritual matters relating to rituals, funerals, burials, and memorials for after you die, such as whether or not you wish to be cremated or not.

Social

The social aspects of death and dying extend to family, friendship groups, faith communities, neighbours, work colleagues, and any other groups that we socialise with on some level. You may wish to consider how these wider groups will be involved in your end of life or that of a loved one that you are planning for, and how they will be notified. For instance, there may be relatives who for whatever reason are unable to attend a funeral, but still need to be given the news or asked if they would like to attend virtually, or sign a memorial book. You might also want to think about what should happen to your social media accounts too. Should they be closed down? Who will do this? And should there be a final post to communicate more widely online?

Cultural

Cultural matters also play a part of end of life. Traditions, customs, and spirituality can be grounded in cultural beliefs, meaning sometimes the will and wishes of the dying can conflict with different family members from different cultures. Issues of gender roles and sexual orientation also factor here, for instance in some cultures it is forbidden for a person to touch the body of the opposite sex once they have died, which is important for any medical practitioners or support workers to understand if they are present. Different cultures have different views on matters such as pain relief, so again this is important to outline in advance. And lastly, the ways others should behave around the time of death and during bereavement vastly differs between cultures, so it is prudent to agree and outline these matters in advance of end of life so that the dying person's wishes can be granted in harmony with their loved ones.

Financial

When it comes to financial matters and end of life, a lack of planning can be devastating for those left behind. Children, spouses, and other dependents such as elderly relatives can be left with major financial worries if a main caretaker dies unexpectedly without any financial provisions in place. Funerals and memorials can be expensive without insurance and savings, and while Widow/Widower Allowance is available from the government in some circumstances, it doesn't always last or cover what it needs to. You can read more about government financial support at https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment but it is more prudent to ensure your will and probate is taken care of, as well as signing up for any life or accidental death insurance when you are young and healthy. Learn more on how to make a will or how to apply for probate.

Legal

Legal matters run through the entire end of life process, including; your rights to refuse certain treatments or resuscitation when you are dying; your rights over what happens to your body after you die both in the case of expected and unexpected death; your rights over your finances and estate which you can outline in your will; and your rights over what happens to your dependents (including pets!) such as who should become their legal guardian in your absence if there is not another parent available to them, and when they should receive any inheritance from you. It is prudent to appoint an Executor who will administer your will when you die and make sure your wishes are carried out. In some cases, it is also worth appointing a Lasting Power of Attorney, who can protect your interests while you are still alive should you lose the ability to represent yourself. This is common when facing terminal illness and degenerative diseases that can make communication difficult, if not impossible, before you die.

Our Presence

The different aspects of end of life:

Emotional

Physical

Spiritual

Social

Cultural

Financial

Legal

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