Critical Info

31/10/2026

Have you completed an Advance Care Directive? Do the people who may need it know where to find it?

In her interview with Catherine Ashton, journalist Stephanie Wood recalls a conversation with the head of palliative care at St Vincent’s about how infrequently Advance Care Directives arrive at hospital with patients.

Planning isn’t just about completing paperwork. It’s also about making sure your documents are accessible and the people who may need them know where they are.

Consider telling your key contacts where your directive is kept and checking how it can be accessed in an emergency.

A little preparation now could make a difficult time easier for the people caring for you.

Listen to Stephanie Wood on Don’t Be Caught Dead.

30/10/2026

Skeletons dancing on the front lawn. Cobwebs on the fence. A carved pumpkin grinning from the doorstep.

Halloween seems to get bigger in Australia every year. But have you ever wondered why, for one night, we decorate our homes with death?
Its roots go back around 2,000 years to Samhain, a Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the start of the dark half of the year. On this night, people believed the boundary between the living and the dead grew thin. They lit bonfires and wore disguises.

Later, the church set aside 1 November as All Hallows, or All Saints’ Day, and 2 November as All Souls’ Day, to pray for those who had died. The evening before became All Hallows’ Eve. Then, simply, Halloween.
Irish and Scottish migrants carried the customs to North America, where carved turnips became pumpkins, and the rest is lollies and costumes.

So underneath the fake blood and fun size chocolate is something very old and very human:
A night to remember the dead.
A night to laugh a little at what scares us.
A night when death is allowed out in the open.

Tomorrow, we’ll be at Fed Square for Día de Mu***os and the Catrina Walk, another tradition that makes room for the people we’ve lost. Come and say hi.

Tonight, while you’re handing out lollies, maybe take a moment to think of someone you miss.

Who would you light a candle for tonight?

***os

30/10/2026

Having children doesn’t automatically mean they’ll be there when you become seriously unwell.

They may live overseas, you may be estranged, or circumstances may mean they can’t be there to support you or speak on your behalf.

In her conversation with Catherine Ashton on Don’t Be Caught Dead, journalist Stephanie Wood shares why she’s considering engaging a death doula to support her if she becomes unwell.

It’s a reminder that we all need to think about who we trust to advocate for us, regardless of our family circumstances.

Who would know your wishes, understand what matters to you, and speak up for you if you couldn’t speak for yourself?

It’s a conversation worth having before you need it.

Listen to Stephanie Wood on Don’t Be Caught Dead.

28/10/2026

What can a little preparation spare the people you love?

In Season 3, Episode 121 of Don’t Be Caught Dead, Catherine Ashton speaks with award-winning Australian journalist Stephanie Wood about her father’s final days and the experience of supporting him through palliative care.

Stephanie shares how her father’s Advance Care Directive helped the family understand his wishes, allowing them to focus on his comfort rather than trying to work out what he would have wanted.

They also discuss the emotional reality of sitting beside someone who is dying, family disagreements at the bedside, why a directive needs to be accessible when healthcare professionals need it, and who might advocate for us when family support isn’t available.

The conversation reaches beyond paperwork, too, exploring the memories and complicated feelings that can surface when clearing a family home after a death.

Planning ahead can’t remove the grief or uncertainty of losing someone. But making your wishes known can help reduce the burden on the people who may one day speak for you.

Listen to **The Paperwork That Can Spare a Family More Pain** with Stephanie Wood on Don’t Be Caught Dead.

Take the free three-minute Critical Info Check to see what you already have covered and identify one next step. Find the link with the episode.

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28/10/2026

28/10/2026

Families don’t always agree when someone they love is seriously unwell.

Siblings may disagree with each other, or with a surviving parent, about care and treatment. In an already distressing situation, those conflicts can make an incredibly difficult time even harder.

In her conversation with Catherine Ashton on Don’t Be Caught Dead, journalist Stephanie Wood reflects on how traumatic these situations can be.

Having important conversations before a crisis, documenting your wishes and making sure the right people understand them can help families navigate difficult decisions.

Have you thought about how your family would handle these conversations?

Listen to the full interview on Don’t Be Caught Dead.

24/10/2026

Funeral Disputes Aren’t Really About Funerals

When families disagree about burial or cremation, the conflict may be about much more than the funeral itself.

Dr Kate Falconer explains that disputes over the care of a body can sometimes reflect deeper emotional wounds and long-standing family tensions. In the middle of grief, those unresolved issues can come to the surface.

Kate also highlights an important practical consideration: the executor of your estate may have legal responsibility for decisions about the care and disposal of your body.

Having conversations about your wishes now — and considering who you appoint as executor — may help prevent conflict later.

🎧 Hear the full conversation on Don’t Be Caught Dead with Dr Kate Falconer.
FuneralDisputes EndOfLifePlanning DrKateFalconer

22/10/2026

Your Death Wishes May Not Be Legally Binding

What if the wishes you express about what happens to your body after death aren’t legally binding?

Dr Kate Falconer explains that, under the common-law framework discussed in this episode, the person legally responsible for arranging the disposal of your body may have the decision-making power — even when your own wishes are known.

Your wishes may matter deeply to your loved ones, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have legal force. Kate discusses why law reform bodies are considering ways to make people’s wishes binding.

It’s a powerful reminder to talk with the people close to you about what you want and to think carefully about who you appoint as your executor.

🎧 Listen to Don’t Be Caught Dead with Dr Kate Falconer.
EstatePlanning EndOfLifePlanning DrKateFalconer