Extension helps Wisconsin residents tackle daunting task of end-of-life planning

It’s a subject no one wants to talk about: end-of-life planning. It can be a confusing and emotional topic but being proactive in making these plans can alleviate future stress and financial burden on loved ones. 

Only 37% of Americans have completed Advance Care Directives. When Extension educators with the University of Wisconsin discovered a need for more educational outreach to older residents, they developed a series called Planning AHEAD, which stands for advance directives, handling financial changes, estate planning and arriving at decisions for the end of this life. It consists of seven modules covering advance directives, handling financial changes, estate and inheritance planning, choices in end-of-life care, end-of-life decisions such as burial vs. Cremation and understanding and dealing with grief. 

Since the program’s launch in 2021, Extension has facilitated 32 program series across the state, reaching more than 400 people. The sessions are led by 25 county-based educators who’ve been trained to facilitate the series. 

Participants who completed the Planning AHEAD series reported being motivated to complete their own end-of-life plans, feeling more confident about having conversations with family members about their wishes and learning about resources they can turn to for help and information. Before entering the program, only 16% of participants said they had maintained or were actively making end-of-life plans. 

“Sometimes it is good to get a little nudge in the right direction,” one participant said. “We tend to think there is plenty of time. This program emphasized that it is never too early to plan ahead.”

View the full statement on the NIDB.

Project supported by State Appropriations and Smith-Lever (3b&c) funds.