Have you already preplanned your end-of-life celebrations at funeral homes Northern Cambria, PA? Making big decisions like whether to be buried, cremated, or get an eco-friendly natural burial, which funeral home to use, and what services are led by a pastor or a close family member.
Then what? How do you make sure all these plans come to life once you leave this mortal world? These choices are important and you deserve a perfect send-off just as you would want.
Here are the five things you can do to make sure your final wishes get carried out:
1. Write Down Your Wishes
Most people include all their final plans in a Will. But truth be told, the will is rarely read until after the funeral has taken place. This document is often stored in a safe, safety deposit box, or with a lawyer.
So, while writing a will is always a preferable option, try to write all your final wishes down separately and keep them in a location where they can be readily found. Keeping a digital copy comes in handy as you can easily find and revise it if needed.
2. Tell Your Trusted Family Member or Friend
No matter how good your funeral plans are if nobody ever knows about them. Don’t shy from sharing your wishes with somebody you trust, be it a friend or a family member. Often, the loved ones are more than happy to respect and carry out your funeral plans. All you need to do is tell them.
But even with those closest to you, there can be deep disagreements on important issues. For instance, you want to be cremated, but your children wanted you buried in the old family cemetery plot or anything like that.
In such a scenario, you may want to take extra steps to make sure that your funeral plans are followed. And that’s why telling your plans to a third party is so important. Most people will find it very difficult to intentionally violate the stated wishes of a dead person.
3. Pay for the Services in Advance
Probably the best way to make sure your funeral plans are carried out. When you plan out your funeral, pay for as much as possible ahead of time.
Even if someone in your immediate family has different ideas about what to do with your funeral, it is far less likely that they will choose to pay out-of-pocket for something when you have already paid in advance.
4. Assign a Durable Power of Attorney
Making your funeral plans legal seals the deal. A durable power of attorney is a legal document that appoints a person to act in your place should you become medically incapacitated. Assign someone you trust as the person who will be responsible for carrying out your funeral wishes.
But be sure to be clear about all your final plans. Have a frank conversation with them and if possible, hand over your written will or funeral arrangements to this person. Try to be very specific with all matters relating to end-of-life decisions and your finances when you’re arranging the next steps at funeral homes Northern Cambria, PA.
