Here are 5 things you want to do if you are preparing for death:

How do you want your legacy distributed among your family, friends, or charities? Who will make sure your wishes are met, and your estate settled in a responsible, ethical, and timely fashion? It's never too soon to review your will and, with their permission, select an executor or executrix. 

You may also inform your closest relatives of basic matters, including when certain funds are available to pay for your funeral arrangements and immediate bills. Whether you opt to inform beneficiaries in advance of their own inheritance is entirely up to you.  

Different states hold their own standards for validating wills, so be sure to check with an attorney licensed in your state so you know you've correctly completed your documentation.

Write down account numbers for your insurance policies, banking institutions, credit cards, and make a list of any entertainment or membership accounts that auto-renew so your executor can cancel them as soon as possible after your death.

Be sure your advance directive addresses where to find the following as well: 

• Do you have a safe deposit box or locked storage unit in your apartment? Be sure the keys or combinations are accessible to those you trust. 
• Don't forget to write down passwords for your computer and handheld devices. 
• If you have social media, do you how you want your social media channels handled post-mortem? Write down your instructions, and make a list of your accounts, user names, and passwords. 

Always keep paper copies of important contracts, account information, wills, deeds, appraisals, and titles, and keep digital copies on external thumb or hard drives. Let your loved ones and executor know where to find these valuable documents.

What is your loved one's choice for their body's disposition? Have they already made arrangements and set aside funding for their own funeral?  How do you access those funds if the funerary care isn't pre-paid? 

If your loved one hasn't already made their preferences clear, ask them how they want their body handled once they are deceased. Meet with a trusted funeral director to find out what alternative means of disposition are available in your area, in addition to better-known methods such as embalming, traditional burial, and cremation. 

Ask your funeral director to walk you through what happens when your loved one passes away at home: What number do you call, and when? Who will come and remove the body? What personal items do you need to provide to the funeral director, and when, to prepare the body for viewing?

When you're caring for a family member in home hospice, you've already begun to grieve. This mental stress, combined with the physical and emotional effort required of you as a caregiver, requires that you look after yourself. Feel the hurt if you have any, but consistently remind yourself to take breaks. Your recovery and downtime is not selfish, it will help you better tend to your loved one. Short walks, yoga, healthy meals, and naps when you can take them will keep you mentally and physically resilient. 

If you're mentally planning for your own passing, you're going through enough. Remember, help is available. Always ask for help to alleviate additional stress. Consider allocating a home aid budget or supplemental insurance to allow for paid in-home care professionals to "sub in" for them from time to time. There are volunteer organizations and respite-care assistance programs designed for this purpose.