Blog-Pre-Planning Tips

Choosing the right funeral director can have an immense impact on not just the successful organization of the funeral ceremony, but also on your own mental health and peace of mind. Losing a loved one is hard enough by itself, but having a funeral director you can depend on can really take away some of the burden.

Here are the four most important qualities that you should look for in a funeral director:

• Excellent communicator and listener

 A funeral director must be a great communicator and listener. They have to ensure that they understand and respect the final wishes of the deceased or the wishes of the families. They must also be able to clearly explain what the process of funeral planning would be like and answer any questions or doubts that families have. 

• Great organizational and management skills

Funeral planning is no cakewalk. It takes a lot of organization, coordination and management of a number of tasks in just a few days. This is why a funeral director needs to be on top of things at all times.

• Willingness to keep learning

There are many aspects to funeral planning that the funeral director must be aware of, including customs and traditions, the latest industry news and updates, the right contacts and connections, as well as creativity and innovation. The director must be someone who is ready and willing to keep learning and growing in their career.

• Compassionate and understanding

Finally, make sure that you find a funeral director who is compassionate, kind and understanding of what you are going through. They should be empathetic and never try to take advantage of you when you are grieving and in a vulnerable situation. Instead, they should always look out for your best interests.

Thanks for reading,

Karen

Traditional burials in cemeteries are still the most preferred form of burials today, despite the rise of many other burial methods. For those of you who wish to follow traditions, or for those who would like to be buried next to their loved ones, then a traditional in-ground burial could be the best option for you and your family.

Whether you are buying a plot in advance for yourself, or you are planning the funeral of a loved one, here are a few essential things that you should keep in mind when buying a burial plot.

• Location

One of the first questions you may have is where to buy a burial plot. Location is an important choice, and it may be influenced by various factors including cost, whether your loved ones are buried in a particular cemetery, ease of accessibility, and more. Make sure that you carefully consider all these factors when choosing the location, keeping in mind family traditions as well as personal preferences. 

• Type of burial plot

The next consideration is the type of burial plot you are going to buy. The most common burial plots today include a single plot, a companion plot, and a family plot. If you wish to be buried side by side with a loved one, then a companion plot is a great choice. If you wish to be buried next to your family members, then a family plot could be perfect for you.

• Headstones and burial markers

A traditional in-ground burial usually comes with burial markers, monuments or headstones, where the name, date, and other inscriptions are engraved. Whether you go for a gray or colored stone, or marble, or even some other material, this is not only a way to mark the gravesite, but also a meaningful and beautiful way to honor the memory of a loved one who has passed.

Thanks for reading,

Karen

We can never predict what life or death can bring. However, we can always prepare. End of life planning can involve a whole process of introspection, learning, and discussion with your loved ones. End of life planning in older adults aims to provide tools to control their financial and healthcare decisions when they are no longer in a state to do so.

Here are the top tips that can help an older person with the end of life planning:

• Plan ahead for the last stages of life

Most older people think of the end of life planning as planning for the last moments of their life. Rather, the planning should involve having healthcare plans that help navigate the healthcare decisions in the later stages of life. The planning should help you, your loved ones or your doctor navigate the crucial healthcare decisions needed. Consider drawing up a health care directive and give copies to doctors and family.

• Talk to your doctors to know what to expect

Talking to your doctors about what to expect is especially important for people with chronic conditions. If you know how these chronic conditions progress, you know what to expect and how to plan ahead. You may also look for extra information from other medical experts.

• Take the process of reflection seriously

The older person needs to reflect on their preferences, values, and wishes. There are several online tools available to help you do that. Aging adults should be able to answer vital questions like choosing a decision-maker, and the flexibility that the decision-maker has. Help them understand what truly matters to them and how to let others know of their wishes.

• Prepare to face uncertainty

Nothing works as it’s been planned in life. Hence, it is essential to be prepared for life's uncertainties. You may have made a decision now, however, it may not always be the right decision at a later stage in life. Be prepared to weigh the pros and cons of a situation and then make a decision according to it.

End of life planning is often a difficult topic for older adults as well as their families. Besides the medical aspects, it is also important to keep relationships, emotions, and spirituality in mind when making decisions.

Thanks for reading,

Karen

Death is something none of us wants to plan for, but pre-purchasing cemetery plots for burial has plenty of benefits. Not only does it save your loved ones plenty of trouble in planning your funeral after you pass away, you also have the option of choosing the exact plot you want your remains to be buried in.

There are different types of cemetery plots, also known as funeral plots or burial plots. Here are some of the most common ones.

• Single plot, which is a burial plot meant for a single individual.
• Side-by-side plot, which refers to two plots which are located next to each other for burying two people, usually couple. They are also known as companion plots.
• Double-depth plot, which is burial space for two people to be buried on top of each other.
• Private estate, available in some cemeteries, allow you and your family to be buried in a reserved private space.

When you purchase a plot, it doesn’t mean that you are purchasing the land itself, but rather the right to buried in that land. This is referred to as interment rights. The rights holder, through written permission, can also have someone else buried in that plot of land.

In most states in the US, the price of funeral plots vary from $1000 to $5000. Of course, there are plenty of other factors at play apart from the state in which you buy the plot. The type of plot you buy as well was when you buy can affect the price. Pre-purchasing often has lower costs compared to the inflated prices you can expect years from now.

Additional costs

There are several additional costs you will have to consider as well such as a grave liner, installation of the headstone or monument, endowment care, opening and closing of the grave, annual maintenance fees, etc.

In the US, once you purchase a burial plot, you have the rights to be buried in it indefinitely. However, there may be variations from state to state.

Thanks for reading, 

Karen

When pregnant women visit the hospital, they already have a “birth plan” in place. However, the same is not true for people when they get admitted to hospitals with an illness. We rarely have a “death plan”. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to prepare with end-of-life planning. Medical practitioners are urging people to have their advance care directives in place, or at least, in the drafting stage when they come to the hospital for admittance.

Advance directives basically consist of written instructions pertaining to your care, which let your medical and familial caregivers know how you’d like your treatment to progress if you can no longer speak for yourself. For example, a living will is a kind of advanced care directive. Appointing your power of attorney is also in line with advanced care planning.

The culture and society we live in traditionally practices denial of our impending death. As a result, the government does not have policies in place which deliver the public with sufficient information on how to carry out end-of-life planning. Even our medical professionals are uncomfortable in broaching that discussion early into a person’s treatment.

You Can Reduce the Guilt and Trauma You Feel Later By Encouraging End of Life Planning

Aggressive medical interventions can take a toll on the patient’s family and friends. If the individual had been encouraged to participate in advanced care planning, the family would no longer have had to shoulder the responsibility of making these life-altering decisions for them. It would lessen their guilt and trauma.

The Novel Coronavirus pandemic has brought humanity to a point where we are all questioning the certainty of life. So, there is no better time than now to roll up your sleeves and dig deep into how you’d like to be put to rest when your days are numbered. Advanced care planning can help you and your close ones rest easy.

Thanks for reading,

Karen