The rising cases of COVID-19 illness and deaths bring the end-of-life conversation and funeral planning issues into our daily consciousness. Here are helpful news stories to place these issues in perspective and offer actionable steps for you and your family.

Step-By-Step Guide to Planning a Funeral

USA Today recently posted this article with nine steps to planning a funeral. “If your loved one has not discussed their end-of-life wishes, planning a funeral may be trying and draining. But with a strategy in place, funeral planning doesn’t have to be overwhelming.”

USA Today also posted this helpful story, Tips to choose music for memorial events. Music touches hearts and is a wonderful element of memorial services.

It’s Time to Talk About Death

This recent opinion column, “It’s Time to Talk About Death,” by palliative care doctor Sunita Puri, M.D. in the New York Times, offers good insights about the importance of advance healthcare directives.

She says,”Americans are not good at talking about death. But we need to be prepared for when, not if, illness will strike. The coronavirus is accelerating this need…. Our collective silence about death, suffering and mortality places a tremendous burden on the people we love, and on the doctors and nurses navigating these conversations. We should not be discussing our loved one’s wishes for the first time when they are in an I.C.U. bed, voiceless and pinned in place by machines and tubes.” Read the full commentary.

My Horrifying Experience Burying My Aunt During Covid-19

This article in the BK Reader, based in Brooklyn, NY, details the challenges a niece faced when she had to claim her aunt’s body from a nursing home and arrange a funeral during this pandemic. Read the full article.

Spare a Moment for Sorrow

In The Atlantic, John Dickerson, contributing writer and 60 Minutes correspondent, provides a thoughtful commentary about grieving our losses. “The test of a time like this is that it either drives us toward our common humanity, or it drives us apart. Let it be the former.” Read the full commentary.

Americans Rush to Make Online Wills

This article on CNBC’s website looks at the rush to make wills using online services. Lawyers caution that DIY wills can be deemed invalid if they don’t meet all of the legal requirements of your state.

DOWNLOAD A FREE EXECUTOR’S CHECKLIST. The 50 point checklist is featured in Gail Rubin’s book, Kicking the Bucket List: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.

Want to Plan for Your Death and Funeral?

If these stories prompt you to pre-plan your funeral, this New York Times story from 2018 has great tips: Want to Plan for Your Death and Funeral? Here’s How.