Think your death is all about you? Not so fast.

Hospice social worker and creator of The Death Deck, Lisa Pahl, has spent years helping families navigate some of the hardest moments imaginable, and she’s learned that one of the biggest gifts you can give the people you love is to stop making them guess what you would have wanted.

This week, Nurse Julie and Lisa get into the stuff most of us would rather put off: Who should make your medical decisions? What kind of funeral do you actually want? And why might your kids NOT be the people you want carrying them out? Julie and Lisa pull questions from The Death Deck, imagining everything from their dream funerals to what they’d do if they got a terminal diagnosis tomorrow.

They also get into the emotional toll of dementia caregiving, Lisa’s bizarre story of a dying man visited by a woman who wasn’t his wife, why some celebrations of life feel completely impersonal, and the biggest hospice misconception of all: your hospice nurse is not moving into your house.

Remember, planning your death isn’t just about how you want to die. It’s about giving the people you love a fighting chance to get it right.

A list of helpful resources Lisa mentioned in episode:

• End of Life Registry: https://givewillow.com/
• States that have Paid Family Leave Benefits: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/state-paid-family-leave-laws-across-the-u-s/
• Dementia Values and Priorities Tool: https://compassionandchoices.org/dementia-values-tool/
• VA Caregiver Support Program: https://www.caregiver.va.gov/
• California IHSS Program: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/in-home-supportive-services
• The Death Deck Tools: https://thedeathdeck.com/

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