Most people find the idea of pre-planning their own funeral difficult to do or understand.
But it’s not as difficult as one might think.
Pre-planning allows the individual time to talk, investigate, compare, and come to decisions that will meet individual and family needs.
Once a funeral home is selected and one has had the opportunity to start discussing preferences, the next logical step is to pre-arrange the service.
Many people do this in sincere desire to be helpful to their family, avoiding questions and confusion later on. Since one’s funeral will most directly affect family members, it is essential to include their suggestions in the plans.
Funeral directors have the proper forms needed for making these pre-arrangements. The funeral director will keep a copy of these forms on file, but the person planning the funeral should as well.
Remember, with a pre-planning, the person planning is in charge. Most people find this comforting.
Pre-planning one’s own funeral is now widely practiced across Canada. Most funeral homes also offer the option to pre-pay these expenses. Pre-paying a funeral retains all the obvious advantages of the prearranged funeral, but goes further with respect to the financial advantages.
Pre-paying your expenses is a hedge against inflation, as all services, merchandise and other disbursements are guaranteed to be provided as they are required – at today’s price.
This article was submitted by Peter MacIntyre of Gilbert MacIntyre and Son Funeral Homes in Guelph and Rockwood.
