PREPARING WELL

A Little Preparation Now Can Make Things Easier Later

Planning ahead can make things feel clearer and help the people around you understand what matters most.

Preparing Well is about taking practical and emotional steps at your own pace — from healthcare wishes and legal matters to family conversations, memories and the things that are important to you.

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A peaceful place for planning ahead and thinking about what matters most

YOUR PREPARING WELL CHECKLIST

Take It One Step at a Time

You do not need to complete everything today. Use this checklist to see what you have already considered and what you may want to come back to later.

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NOT SURE WHERE TO START?

You Don’t Have to Work It All Out on Your Own

Preparing well does not mean having every answer or making every decision at once.

Sometimes the most useful first step is simply having a conversation. Our Franklin Hospice team can help you think about what matters to you, what you may want to plan for, and where you can find the right information or support.

We can talk things through at your pace. There is no expectation that you need to complete everything on the checklist, and you can come back to different decisions whenever the time feels right.

Talk to Us About Preparing Well

AT YOUR PACE

A Conversation Can Be the First Step

You can talk with us about practical planning, healthcare wishes, family conversations or simply what is worrying you right now.

You decide what feels useful and when.

PREPARING EMOTIONALLY

Preparing Is About More Than Paperwork

Planning ahead can bring up strong emotions for patients, partners, family members, whānau and caregivers. That is a normal part of facing uncertainty and change.

ANTICIPATORY GRIEF

It’s Possible to Start Grieving Before Someone Dies

Anticipatory grief can begin when someone is living with a life-limiting illness. It may involve sadness, fear, uncertainty or a sense of loss as life begins to change.

These feelings can affect the person who is unwell as well as the people who love and care for them.

Many Feelings Can Appear

Sadness, anxiety, fear, guilt, frustration, exhaustion and uncertainty can all be part of the experience.

Whānau Need Support Too

Partners, family members and caregivers may be balancing their own emotions while also trying to support someone they love.

You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone

Franklin Hospice can provide emotional support, information and conversations for patients and whānau before and after a death.

Go at the Pace That Feels Right

There is no correct way to prepare emotionally. Some people want to talk openly; others need more time and space.

WE’RE HERE FOR PATIENTS AND WHĀNAU

If Things Feel Heavy, Talk With Us

You do not need to wait until things become overwhelming before asking for support.

Explore Family & Whānau Support

TRUSTED PLANNING NETWORK

Trusted Local People Who Can Help

Some parts of preparing well may benefit from specialist advice. Franklin Hospice can help point you towards trusted local professionals who understand the practical, legal and financial decisions that can arise when planning ahead.

LEGAL SUPPORT

Wills & Enduring Powers of Attorney

A lawyer can help you make or update your Will, put Enduring Powers of Attorney in place and make sure your legal wishes are clearly recorded.

Provider Details Coming Soon

FINANCIAL PLANNING

Making Financial Matters Clearer

A trusted adviser can help you organise important financial information, understand your options and make plans that are easier for your family or whānau to follow later.

Provider Details Coming Soon

FUNERAL PLANNING

Thinking Ahead About Your Wishes

Funeral directors can help explain the choices available and help you record preferences around services, burial or cremation, music, readings and other arrangements.

Provider Details Coming Soon

LATER-LIFE & AGED CARE

Understanding Care Options

Specialist support can help families understand later-life living and care options, what services may be available and what questions to ask when circumstances begin to change.

Provider Details Coming Soon

INDEPENDENT SUPPORT

Your Choice Always Comes First

Franklin Hospice does not receive commissions or referral fees from businesses or professionals included in our Trusted Planning Network. Providers are considered for their expertise, service and alignment with our values, but you are always free to choose any professional you wish.

GUIDES & RESOURCES

Practical Information When You Need It

You do not need to work through everything at once. These guides can help you understand some of the practical decisions you may want to think about, discuss with whānau or explore with a professional.

START HERE

Preparing Well Guide

A practical overview of the things you may want to consider when planning ahead, including healthcare, family, legal and personal wishes.

Download Coming Soon

HEALTHCARE

Advance Care Planning

Learn how to record what matters to you, your healthcare preferences and who you would like involved in decisions if you are unable to speak for yourself.

Resource Coming Soon

LEGAL

Wills & Enduring Powers of Attorney

Understand the purpose of a Will and Enduring Powers of Attorney, and why keeping these documents current can make things easier for the people around you.

Resource Coming Soon

WHĀNAU

Talking With Children & Family

Gentle guidance for talking with children, grandchildren and other family members about serious illness, change, dying and what may happen next.

Resource Coming Soon

PLANNING AHEAD

Funeral & After-Death Planning

Things you may want to think about ahead of time, including funeral preferences, burial or cremation, music, readings, gatherings and personal wishes.

Resource Coming Soon

DIGITAL LIFE

Digital Accounts, Photos & Online Life

A simple way to think about email, social media, photographs, subscriptions, passwords and how you would like your digital life managed.

Resource Coming Soon

Other Preparing Well resources will include:

What to Do When Someone Dies Grief & Bereavement Pets & Animal Care Important Documents Memories & Keepsakes

SHORT & SIMPLE

Preparing Well in 60–90 Seconds

Sometimes a short explanation is easier than reading a long guide. We are developing a series of simple videos answering common questions about preparing ahead.

What Is Advance Care Planning? Video coming soon
Why Do I Need an EPA? Video coming soon
How Do I Start a Family Conversation? Video coming soon

WHAT MATTERS MOST

Leaving Something Behind

A legacy does not have to be something large or formal. Sometimes the things people treasure most are the stories, words, photographs and memories that help them feel connected to someone they love.

YOUR STORY

What Would You Like People to Remember?

You may want to think about the stories you would like passed on, the values that matter to you, the people who have shaped your life, or the things you would like your family and whānau to know.

There is no right way to do this. It can be as simple as a note, a favourite photograph or a conversation.

Letters & Messages

Write something for a partner, child, grandchild, friend or future generation to read later.

Stories & Memories

Record family stories, important moments, funny memories or the experiences that helped shape you.

Photos & Keepsakes

Choose photographs, objects or keepsakes that carry meaning and think about who you may like to receive them.

Voice & Video

A short voice recording or video can preserve the sound of your voice and a message in a very personal way.

A LEGACY OF CARE

Leaving a Gift in Your Will

Some people choose to include Franklin Hospice in their Will as a way of supporting specialist hospice care for future generations.

This is always a personal choice and is never the purpose of Preparing Well. If it is something you would like to explore, we can provide information and help you understand the next steps.

Talk to Us About Leaving a Legacy

REMEMBERING SOMEONE

Meaningful Ways to Remember Someone You Love

Remembering someone can be quiet and personal, shared with whānau, or part of something that continues for years to come. Franklin Hospice offers several ways for people to remember and honour someone who has died.

A PLACE TO REFLECT

Memorial Garden

A peaceful place to pause, remember and reflect, surrounded by the gardens of Franklin Hospice.

More information coming soon
Colourful handcrafted glass birds displayed together as a memorial installation

HANDCRAFTED REMEMBRANCE

Memorial Glass Birds

These beautiful handcrafted glass birds provide a personal and lasting way to remember someone special.

Available in a range of bird forms and colours, they can be displayed individually or brought together as a meaningful flock.

A small amount of your loved one’s ashes can also be incorporated into a memorial bird, creating a unique keepsake to hold their memory close.

Talk to Us About Memorial Birds

TOGETHER IN REMEMBRANCE

Annual Memorial Service

An opportunity for families and whānau to come together, remember someone important and share a moment of reflection with our hospice community.

Details announced each year

THROUGH EVERY STAGE

Preparing Well. Living Well. Remembering Well.

Hospice care is about more than the final days of life. It is about helping people make the most of the time they have, supporting whānau along the way, and creating space for the conversations and memories that matter.

01

PREPARING WELL

Plan at Your Own Pace

Think about your wishes, important conversations, practical arrangements and the people who can help make things clearer.

02

LIVING WELL

Focus on What Matters Now

Find support, connection and specialist hospice care that can help you live as well as possible while remaining close to the people and places that matter.

Explore Living Well
03

REMEMBERING WELL

Keep Memories Close

Remember, honour and celebrate someone important through stories, gatherings, keepsakes and meaningful ways of staying connected.

FRANKLIN HOSPICE

You Don’t Need to Have All the Answers

Whether you are planning ahead, living with a life-limiting illness, supporting someone you love, or remembering someone who has died, our team is here to listen and help.

Talk to Our Team Explore Our Services

Care close to home. Support for the whole whānau. Specialist expertise when it matters most.