You don't have to figure this out alone
Planning ahead, processing grief, and caring for aging loved ones are some of life's most meaningful and most overwhelming tasks. These handpicked resources can help make the journey a little lighter. Free downloads, books, podcasts, and more, all gathered in one place so you can find what you need, when you need it.
Begin With The End
Personalized end-of-life and legacy planning with Marni Blank. One-on-one support for every step of the journey.
Visit site →Aging with Dignity
Resources for healthcare planning and end-of-life decisions, including the Five Wishes living will document.
Visit site →The Conversation Project
Tools and guides for starting conversations about end-of-life wishes with the people who matter most.
Visit site →Conversation Starters
The Conversation Project and The Death Deck offer accessible, low-pressure ways to open up dialogue about end-of-life wishes.
The Conversation Project → The Death Deck →Death Café
Free local meetups to discuss death and dying in a supportive, open, and non-judgmental space.
Visit site →CaringInfo
Free resources from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, including state-specific advance directive forms you can download and complete at no cost.
Visit site →Advance Care Planning
Advance care planning ensures your healthcare wishes are known and honored if you're unable to speak for yourself. State-specific forms and plain-language guides are available through both Aging with Dignity and CaringInfo.
Find your state's forms →Dougy Center
Support for children, teens, and adults who have experienced the death of someone in their lives.
Visit site →Good Grief
Community-based grief support programs for children, young adults, and families navigating loss.
Visit site →GriefShare
A nationwide network of grief support groups offering care and guidance after the death of a loved one.
Visit site →What's Your Grief?
An educational grief resource offering articles, activities, and community support for every kind of loss.
Visit site →HelpTexts
Text-based support for people navigating loss, delivered through compassionate, expert-written messages.
Visit site →The Compassionate Friends
A self-help organization for families who have experienced the death of a child, offering hope through community.
Visit site →Mental Health America
Resources and tools for finding mental health support, including grief and bereavement resources.
Visit site →AARP Financial Services
Financial planning resources, tools, and guidance for older adults navigating retirement and estate planning.
Visit site →Ellevest
Financial planning services designed with women in mind, including investing and financial wellness coaching.
Visit site →National Endowment for Financial Education
Free, unbiased financial education resources to help people make informed money decisions at every stage.
Visit site →AfterLight
Logistical support for navigating the practical and administrative tasks that arise after a loved one dies.
PALs Directory
A directory of Professionals of After Loss Services — specialists who help families settle estates and close accounts.
Dashlane
A trusted password manager for securely storing and sharing login credentials with designated people.
Visit site →1Password
Secure password management with family sharing options and digital vault features built in.
Visit site →EverPlans
A digital vault designed specifically for end-of-life planning — store, organize, and share important information.
Visit site →TrustWorthy
A family operating system for organizing and securely sharing important information with trusted people.
Visit site →Trust & Will
Online estate planning documents — wills, trusts, and healthcare directives — reviewed by attorneys.
Visit site →Legado
A platform for creating, storing, and sharing your estate planning documents with ease.
Visit site →Office for the Aging
Each state offers resources and assistance for families caring for older adults. Services vary by location.
Family Caregiver Alliance
Dedicated support for caregivers including education, community resources, and peer support groups.
Visit site →Caregiver Action Network
A non-profit providing free education, peer support, and resources to family caregivers nationwide.
Visit site →Elder Decisions
Elder and family mediation services for navigating difficult conversations and decisions around aging and care.
Visit site →HelloAlma
A directory to find therapists who take insurance, making mental health care more accessible during difficult times.
Visit site →Fisher House Foundation
Provides free housing near medical centers for veterans and their families during treatment.
Visit site →Veterans Crisis Line
Confidential support and resources for veterans in crisis — available 24/7 by call, text, or chat.
Visit site →Hospice & Palliative Care Providers
Hospice and palliative care services are available in every state but vary by location. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offers a provider search tool to find local services by zip code.
Find a provider →A little guidance goes a long way.Sometimes the right book, the right conversation, or the right person makes all the difference. If you're looking for something specific or need a personal recommendation, reach out directly. I'll point you in the right direction.
A Greener Farewell
For those who want their final arrangements to reflect a commitment to the earth, there are more options today than most people realize. Each of the following offers a meaningful, environmentally gentle alternative to traditional burial or cremation. Your funeral home or end-of-life planner (me!) can help you understand what's available in your state.
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Also known as water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis, aquamation uses water rather than flame to return the body to its natural elements. It uses significantly less energy than traditional cremation and produces no direct emissions.
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Made from natural materials like wicker, bamboo, wool, or untreated wood, biodegradable caskets break down naturally over time and are compatible with both green burial and conventional cemetery burial.
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A unique option for those who love the ocean. Cremated remains are incorporated into a reef ball structure that is placed on the ocean floor, creating a living habitat for marine life.
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Also called natural organic reduction, human composting gently transforms the body into nutrient-rich soil over the course of several weeks. Currently available in a growing number of states.
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The body is returned to the earth without embalming, metal caskets, or concrete vaults. Natural burial grounds are designed to preserve and restore the surrounding landscape.
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One of the oldest burial traditions, shroud burial wraps the body in natural cloth — linen, cotton, or wool — and returns it directly to the earth. Simple, dignified, and deeply intentional.
Books
A carefully chosen shelf for every stage of the journey. Whether you're planning ahead, supporting someone you love, or finding your way through loss, these are the books people come back to.
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![Book cover of 'The Beauty of What Remains' by Steve Leder with the subtitle 'How Our Greatest Fear Becomes Our Greatest Gift.']()
The Beauty Of What Remains
by Steve Leder
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![Book cover titled "For You When I Am Gone" by Steve Leder, featuring the subtitle "Twelve Essential Questions to Tell a Life Story." The background has a folded paper envelope design.]()
For You When I Am Gone
by Steve Leder
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![Cover of "Being Mortal" by Atul Gawande, featuring the subtitle "Medicine and What Matters in the End."]()
Being Mortal
by Atul Gawande
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![Cover of 'A Beginner's Guide to the End' with subtitle 'Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death,' by BJ Miller and Shoshana Berger. Features stacked stones illustration and a testimonial by Abraham Verghese.]()
A Beginner's Guide to the End
by BJ Miller, Shoshana Berger
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It's OK That You're Not OK
by Megan Devine
Podcasts
Some of the most honest conversations about death, grief, and legacy are happening in podcast form. These are the ones worth your time: thoughtful, accessible, and easy to return to.
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Do we ever move on from grief, or do we just learn to live with it? In Season 2 of All There Is, Anderson Cooper continues his deeply personal journey to understand his own feelings of grief in all its complexities, and in moving and honest discussions, learn from others who’ve experienced life-altering losses. All There Is with Anderson Cooper is about the people we lose, the people left behind, and how we can live on – with loss and with love.
Listen on Apple Podcasts -
It's a question we ask (and get asked) all the time: “How are you?” And normally we just respond with “Fine!” even if we’re totally dying inside, so everyone can go about their day. But it’s not always all that fine, is it? “Terrible, Thanks For Asking” is a show by author Nora McInerny that lets real people get real honest about how they’re really doing. It’s sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and almost always both.
Listen on your favorite platform -
Remember the last time you tried to talk about grief and suddenly everyone left the room? Hosted by Jana DeCristofaro and produced by Dougy Center, Grief Out Loud is opening up this often avoided conversation because grief is hard enough without having to go through it alone. We bring you a mix of personal stories, tips for supporting children, teens, and yourself, and interviews with professionals. Platitude and cliché-free, we promise!
Listen now
TV/Media
Sometimes a story does what a checklist can't. These films and series approach death, grief, and legacy with honesty and heart — and have a way of opening up conversations that might otherwise feel hard to start.
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A warmly observed series following a professional "death cleaner" who helps people sort through a lifetime of belongings and the stories attached to them. Quietly profound.
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Ricky Gervais's deeply human series about grief, community, and finding reasons to go on. One of the most honest and unexpectedly tender portrayals of loss in recent television.