This guide tells you what happens when you are going to die.  

You might know you are going to die if you have an illness.  

There are some choices you can make before you die.  

Death is when a person stops being alive. 

It means they have ‘died’. 

Their body and their brain have stopped working. 

They do not have a heartbeat. 

People can die when they get very old. 

Or if they get very sick. 

Or if they get hurt in an accident.

It sounds scary, but it can be very peaceful.  

Every person will die one day. 

It is a normal part of life.

We have an easy read guide on dealing with death. 

In the days before you die you might be: 

• At home 

• In a hospital 

• In a hospice 

A hospice is a special place for people who are going to die. 

The doctors and nurses will help you if you are in pain.  

They will talk to you if you are worried. 

You might be very tired. 

You might want to sleep all the time. 

You might not want to eat or drink.  

You can have people sit with you.  

People can sit with you even if you do not want to talk.  

You might get confused about who people are.  

You might hear people, but not be able to talk.  

You might feel like you are going into a very deep sleep.  

The doctors and nurses will make you as comfortable as they can.  

If you have an illness that you will die from, you can get special support.

This is called 'palliative care’. 

The National Health Service (NHS) can help you find palliative care near you.  

You can use the NHS website to find support.  

Thinking about death can be scary. 

But there are some choices you should make before you die.  

If you do not make these choices, other people will need to make them for you. 

You should write an ‘end of life plan’. 

You should have support to do this. 

This plan helps you make decisions about how you want to die. 

You can put in your plan: 

• The care you would like 

• If you want to die at home, a hospice or in the hospital 

• What you want to happen to the things you own when you die 

• What you want to happen to your body when you die 

The plan just says what you would like to happen.  

Some things in your plan might not be possible.  

It is important to write a will.

A will is a legal document that says what happens to the things you own when you die.  

We have a guide on writing a will. 

If you need help making plans for when you die, you should speak to a solicitor.  

A solicitor is a person who understands the law. 

Use the Law Society website to find the right solicitor for you.   

A solicitor will probably cost money.