Planning before the moment arrives
End-of-life planning encompasses decisions that are easier, clearer, and less emotionally difficult when made in advance — before a health crisis, a hospitalization, or the final weeks of life. Families who have completed basic planning report significantly less conflict, confusion, and distress when decisions must be made under pressure.
Planning may occur at any time but is most commonly considered after a serious diagnosis, during hospice enrollment, following a major health event, or as part of general estate planning. It is not only for those who are seriously ill — it is appropriate for any adult at any stage of life.
This page addresses the non-medical dimensions of end-of-life planning. For care and symptom management, see Hospice & Palliative Support.
Legal documents that communicate your wishes
Maine law recognizes several types of advance directive documents that allow individuals to communicate healthcare preferences and designate decision-making authority in advance. These documents are most effective when completed before a crisis occurs.
Healthcare Proxy / Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
Designates a trusted person to make medical decisions if the individual becomes unable to do so. In Maine, this is often called a healthcare proxy or healthcare power of attorney. The designated person should understand the individual's values and preferences.
Living Will / Advance Directive
Documents the individual's preferences regarding life-sustaining treatment, resuscitation, artificial nutrition, and other interventions under specific circumstances. In Maine, this is often combined with the healthcare proxy in a single document.
POLST — Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment
A Maine-specific medical order — signed by a physician — that travels with the patient and communicates treatment preferences across care settings. Particularly important for individuals with serious illness or frailty. More immediately actionable than a living will.
DNR / Do Not Resuscitate Order
A physician order specifying that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should not be attempted. A DNR is a medical order, not an advance directive — it must be signed by a physician to be honored in emergency situations in Maine.
Maine advance directive forms
The Maine State Bar Association and Maine Medical Association have developed standardized advance directive forms for Maine residents. These forms are available through Maine hospitals, primary care providers, elder law attorneys, and the Maine DHHS website.
Completing an advance directive does not require an attorney, though legal counsel may be helpful for complex situations. The document should be witnessed, kept accessible, and shared with your healthcare proxy, primary care provider, and any specialists involved in your care.
Practical arrangements before and after death
Funeral and memorial planning may occur in advance or in the immediate period following a death. When arrangements have been made in advance, families are spared the burden of making significant decisions during an acutely difficult time.
- Funeral home selection — licensed funeral homes in Maine are regulated by the Maine State Board of Funeral Service
- Burial or cremation preferences — including location, type of interment, and any pre-purchased arrangements
- Memorial or service preferences — religious or non-religious, location, participants
- Obituary preparation — some families write these in advance or provide key information to a funeral home
- Transportation arrangements — particularly relevant for deaths that occur away from home
- Required legal filings — death certificates, vital records, and other Maine state documentation are coordinated through the funeral home
- Pre-need funeral arrangements — Maine allows individuals to pre-arrange and pre-pay for funeral services through licensed funeral homes
Funeral service providers in Maine are licensed and regulated. Families have the legal right to receive a written price list from any licensed funeral home before committing to services.
Common circumstances that prompt planning
End-of-life planning may be initiated at any time, but families commonly engage with it during one of these circumstances:
- After a serious illness diagnosis — cancer, heart failure, COPD, advanced dementia
- During or after hospice enrollment, when the hospice team often facilitates planning conversations
- Following a major health event such as a stroke, fall, or hospitalization
- As part of general estate planning, often prompted by an attorney or financial advisor
- When a parent or loved one is aging and conversations about the future feel necessary
- Following the death of a peer or family member, which often prompts reflection on one's own planning
End-of-life planning resources across Maine
Funeral homes, memorial services, and planning providers are organized by region. Select the region closest to your location.
What Maine families should know
Advance directives, POLST, and planning resources in Maine
Maine is one of many states that has adopted the POLST paradigm — Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment — as a way to ensure that medical orders reflecting an individual's treatment preferences travel with them across care settings. A POLST form is a physician-signed medical order, distinct from an advance directive, and is particularly important for individuals who are seriously ill, elderly and frail, or receiving hospice or palliative care.
Maine elder law attorneys can assist with advance directive completion, healthcare proxy designation, estate planning, and Medicaid planning. The Maine State Bar Association maintains a referral service for families seeking legal guidance. Maine Legal Services for the Elderly (207-621-0087) provides free legal assistance to Maine residents age 60 and older.
Maine's funeral industry is regulated by the Maine State Board of Funeral Service, which maintains licensure records and handles complaints about funeral homes. Families are entitled by law to receive a General Price List from any funeral home before making arrangements.
Home funerals — where the family takes direct responsibility for care of the body — are legal in Maine and may be arranged without a funeral director in some circumstances. The Maine Funeral Directors Association and the Final Rights organization can provide guidance for families considering this option.
Natural burial — interment without embalming or a traditional casket — is available at several locations in Maine and has grown in popularity. Families interested in natural or green burial options should ask funeral homes specifically about this service, as not all providers offer it.