"Ninety per cent of us have time to prepare for the death of a loved one," said Aniello Iannuzzi, Coonababran Doctor and chair of the Australian Doctors Federation said, in a recent podcast, 'Dying to Know.' 

"It's something we think we know about but which most of us should know at least a little more about," he said. 

"People should be as prepared as possible, and a lot of this involves engaging with the legal system."

Today people in Baradine will have an opportunity to find out more about what they need to be thinking - and talking - about.

This very topic will be explored in an upcoming forum this evening Monday 19 June at 6.30pm at the Baradine Bowling Club.

Like the podcast episode, the free event is called "Dying to Know," and it will explore several big issues, including end-of-life care, power of attorney, wills, probates, palliative care, and funeral arrangements.

Coonabarabran Cancer Group and Palliative 4 People have organised the event

Jane McWhirter, Real Estate Agent and member of Palliative 4 People have been a driving force for educating people about the dying process.

Her husband died from cancer eight years ago.

Jane McWhiter. Image: realty.com.au

"When my husband died, I had my adult kids living with me for two months, and then after that then, it hit," she told the Western Plains App

She said her friends from work and golf are what carried her through.

"After that, I thought I'm going to donate and raise money to revamp the palliative room at the hospital," and her involvement in educating people about death built from there.

"It's one of those things nobody is immune from."

"There are a lot of lonely widowed people who are easily preyed upon in the wake of the death," Mrs. McWhirter said.

"Do you wanna be buried or cremated? Nobody ever asks this; do you have a plot booked? These are all things you should be talking about and planning," she explained. 

"Paperwork involved in an estate can be overwhelming, especially if nothing has been set up. You must still carry on and make decisions when you are in a state of shock and grief."

"One of the hardest things about having someone close to you die in a small country town is that everybody knows you, so after it happens, people don't know what to say to you when they see you up the main street," she explained.

In the recent companion podcast" nurse Nicole Hadfield from Western NSW Local Health District said that before his death, her husband always talked about getting a will but never got one.

"So my message is if you do not have a will, go and do it; please get it sorted. Talk to your solicitor. Whether you are 18 or 80, take the pressure off your loved ones, there is enough for them to worry about when they die without them having to worry about this also."

While Pamela McCaffrey from Clarke and Cunningham Solicitors in Coonabarabran told the podcast about the importance of setting an enduring power of attorney - A legal document that allows you to appoint a person(s) to manage financial and legal decisions on your behalf and continues even if you lose the ability to make decisions for yourself.

"If you are going to give someone power of attorney, make sure it is someone you should trust completely," Ms. McCaffrey said.

 ABOVE: Aniello Iannuzzi. Image: Warrumbungle Shire Council.

Another issue that Ms. McWhirter thinks people need to understand is an advanced care directive.

The directive outlines your preferences for your future care along with your beliefs, values, and goals. It includes directives such as not to resuscitate under the circumstances. 

Health professionals and family members must follow a valid directive, and a Doctor must sign off on it for it to be valid.

"Most people also don't know they have to do an update on their superannuation to update their beneficiaries, for instance," she said.

She said the Dying to Know forum will feature an undertaker, a doctor, and a couple of people speaking of personal experience - including what happens when the deceased person does not have a will.

"I'm just trying to stop people from getting big solicitor bills or getting stuck in a situation that could have easily been resolved."

"It's everything you want to know about dying but was too scared to ask"

In terms of dealing with her own grief from her husband's death eight years ago, she said" "As hard as it is to talk about this, it's me done me a world of good."