Two pages, nothing to sign up for
Print it, or ask someone to print it for you. A librarian at your public library can help too. Check off what’s done. Skip what doesn’t apply.
Open the checklist (PDF, 2 pages)
You are welcome to print copies for a friend, a hospice or a support group.
What’s on it
- What to do in the first two days
- The six calls for the first week, starting with the funeral home and Social Security
- What to find and set up by the end of week two
- What can wait, so you can set it aside for now
- A page for your numbers, with Social Security and the 988 crisis line already printed
- A log for every call: the date, who you spoke to, their number, a reference number, and what they need
The book that goes with it
The checklist comes from Book 1, The First 30 Days. The book explains each step: what it is for, what to ask, and who can answer.
If you’d like, a few emails later on
Five or six short emails a year at most, and a note when a new book is out. Each one is about something that tends to come up in the first two years. You don’t need to sign up to get the checklist.