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Life Events/Health & Wellbeing

Serious Illness

When a diagnosis reshapes everything.

A serious diagnosis can upend medical decisions, daily routines, finances, and family roles all at once. The weight of treatment, uncertainty, and logistics can make even the next step feel unclear. Facing this with courage, even when it feels like barely holding on, matters more than most people realize. You do not have to figure this out alone or all at once.

8 guides
27 actions
Start this journey — $10/moOffer this to your team

Your plan includes

8 guides. 27 concrete actions.

Each guide focuses on one area of this life event. Inside each guide, the AI walks you through specific actions with deliverables, deadlines, and resources.

01

Get Grounded After Diagnosis

Start by understanding what the diagnosis means, who the care team is, and what emotional footing is needed before treatment decisions and logistics take over.

Acknowledge the emotional reality of the diagnosisBuild a simple understanding of the illnessIdentify the care team and who does what
02

Navigate Treatment Decisions and Symptoms

Work through treatment options, tradeoffs, side effects, and symptom thresholds so decisions are informed and the household knows when to call for help.

Understand treatment options and tradeoffsBuild a symptom escalation planPrepare questions for appointments and decisionsEvaluate whether a second opinion is needed
03

Build a Daily Care and Information System

Organize appointments, medications, questions, test results, and family coordination into a system that can handle the load without constant improvisation.

Create a medication and provider listSet up appointment and question trackingOrganize transportation and daily logisticsEstablish family communication and coordination roles
04

Manage Work, Finances, and Benefits

Address leave, disability, insurance, income disruption, and benefit access before financial strain compounds the illness itself.

Review insurance coverage and out-of-pocket exposureNavigate leave, disability, and work accommodationsBuild a financial triage planAccess employer benefits and community financial resources
05

Plan Home Support, Discharge, and Rehabilitation

Prepare for transitions out of acute care, including home setup, equipment, follow-up, rehabilitation, and safe daily functioning.

Prepare for hospital discharge or care transitionsSet up home safety and equipmentPlan rehabilitation and follow-up care
06

Clarify Values and Advance-Care Plans

Name goals of care, decision authority, family communication preferences, and core values so the plan reflects what actually matters.

Name goals of care and quality-of-life prioritiesComplete advance directives and healthcare proxyEstablish family communication about values and decisions
07

Face Progression, Recurrence, or Comfort Care

Reorient when the illness changes direction, including worsening disease, narrowing options, second opinions, palliative care, or a shift toward comfort-focused goals.

Process the emotional shift when illness changes directionEvaluate updated options and palliative careReorient the care plan to current reality
08

Adjust to Survivorship and Longer-Term Change

Navigate life after treatment stabilizes or ends, including ongoing monitoring, fatigue, fear of recurrence, functional changes, and rebuilding routines.

Name the emotional reality of survivorshipBuild a monitoring and follow-up planRebuild routines around changed capacity

Ready to navigate serious illness?

Answer a few questions about your situation. Gaite builds a personalized plan with the guides and actions most relevant to you.

Personal plans start at $10/month. Family plans $25/month for up to 5 members. Cancel anytime.

Get started — $10/moOffer this to your team