Terminal Illness & End-of-Life Planning in Grenada: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Coordinate Palliative Care, Home Nursing, and Health Coverage

   • Hospital and community health services: Coordinate pain management, oncology follow-up, and symptom control through the General Hospital in St. George's, the Princess Alice Hospital in St. Andrew, the Princess Royal Hospital in Carriacou, and the community health centres operated by the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs [1].
   • Home nursing and palliative support: Connect with district community health nurses under the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs as well as local non-profit care networks such as the Grenada Cancer Society to arrange home visits, palliative medication schedules, and caregiver assistance [1].
   • Private insurance and treatment coverage: Review any private health or critical-illness insurance policies held by your family member to verify coverage for inpatient care, prescription medications, home nursing, and medical travel, and ensure medical referrals are documented by the attending consultant physician [1].
2. 2

   Record Advance Healthcare Directives and Designate a Medical Representative

   • Written advance medical directive: While Grenada does not have a standalone statute dedicated exclusively to living wills, an adult with full mental capacity can sign a written advance medical statement under common-law principles of informed consent and refusal, detailing preferences regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, artificial feeding, and comfort-focused care [1].
   • Naming a healthcare proxy: Nominate a trusted family member or representative in writing to communicate with physicians if the ill person loses the ability to speak for themselves, and ask the attending physician to confirm mental capacity in the medical record when the directive is signed [1].
   • Clinical record integration: Provide copies of the signed advance treatment directive and representative contact details to the treating hospital team under the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs, the local district medical officer, and close relatives so the document is immediately accessible in an emergency [1].
3. 3

   Execute Powers of Attorney and Bank Mandates While Capacity Is Intact

   • Formal Power of Attorney deed: Under Grenadian law, a Power of Attorney authorizing a representative to manage property, legal affairs, and financial transactions must be executed as a deed while the grantor still has full mental and legal capacity, witnessed before a Notary Public, Justice of the Peace, or attorney-at-law, and registered at the Supreme Court Registry (Deeds and Land Registry) in St. George's [4] [5].
   • Scope of financial and property authority: Ensure the Power of Attorney explicitly covers real estate management, tax filings with the Inland Revenue Division, utility accounts, and representation before public agencies [4] [6].
   • Bank and credit union mandates: Commercial banks and credit unions in Grenada typically require their own account mandate forms in addition to a registered Power of Attorney; arrange for your family member to sign bank authorization forms in person or via a bank-approved home or hospital visit while capacity is intact [4].
4. 4

   Activate Sickness, Invalidity, and Caregiver Support Benefits

   • Short-term Sickness Benefit: If your family member is an insured employed or self-employed contributor who cannot work due to illness, submit a Sickness Benefit claim with medical certification to the National Insurance Scheme under the National Insurance Act (Cap. 205) [2] [3]. Sickness Benefit replaces a statutory portion of insurable earnings for up to 26 weeks of certified incapacity [2] [3].
   • Long-term Invalidity Pension or Grant: If the condition results in permanent incapacity for work prior to pensionable age and the contributor satisfies the contribution requirements under the National Insurance Act, apply to the National Insurance Scheme for an Invalidity Pension or lump-sum Invalidity Grant supported by specialist medical reports [2] [3].
   • Public assistance and caregiver leave: Where additional support is required, inquire with social development and community care programs linked to the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs, and coordinate with employers regarding contractual family medical or compassionate leave for primary caregivers [1] [2].
5. 5

   Organize the Will, Civil Status Records, and Estate Documentation

   • Executing or updating a Will: Instruct a Grenadian attorney-at-law to draft or review your family member's Last Will and Testament while testamentary capacity is clear (ideally supported by a contemporaneous physician's certificate), ensuring execution before two independent witnesses in accordance with the rules applied by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court [4].
   • Consolidating civil status and tax records: Obtain certified copies of birth and marriage certificates through the Registrar General's office under the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs [1] [5], gather property deeds and land titles, and verify that personal and property tax accounts are current on the G-TAX portal of the Inland Revenue Division [6].
   • Beneficiaries and cross-border coordination: Confirm beneficiary designations on life insurance policies, credit union accounts, and pension records with the National Insurance Scheme [3]. If family members, executors, or assets are located outside Grenada, ensure powers of attorney and civil documents carry a Hague Apostille so cross-border administration under the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court rules proceeds without delay [4] [5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Ministry of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs — Government of Grenada
2. [2]
   National Insurance Act (Chapter 205) - Sickness and Invalidity Benefits — Parliament of Grenada
3. [3]
   NIS Grenada Online Portal and Benefit Claims — National Insurance Scheme Grenada
4. [4]
   Filing a Probate Case - Non-Contentious Probate and Administration of Estates — Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
5. [5]
   Registration of Births and Deaths Act (Chapter 280) — Parliament of Grenada
6. [6]
   Inland Revenue Division and G-TAX Portal — Ministry of Finance, Government of Grenada