Arranging a funeral or cremation services Richland, PA, encompasses making dozens of decisions in a very short span of time. The bereaved family wants to give the best possible tribute to the deceased – just as they would have wanted.
What’s best is to have a conversation with the person to learn how exactly they want to celebrate their funeral service. Talking about a funeral is never easy and particularly if the person about to die is close to your heart.
If you’re a family caregiver of a loved one and want to discuss their final arrangements, then consider the below tips.
1. How to Initiate
It’s never easy to start this difficult and often emotionally overwhelming discussion with someone on their deathbed. But remember that having such a conversation shows your ultimate desire to fulfill all their wishes and desires – and to give them a perfect send off, the one they deserve.
Before anything else, prepare yourself for the conversation. Start with current events or a recent loss of a known person. Argue how great their funeral event was and how the bereaved personalized it in accordance with the deceased’s final wishes.
Get your loved one’s insights on the event and assess how they express likes or dislikes. Then gradually, bring up their own funeral requests and start explaining the creative options they have to make the event unique and memorable.
2. Speak Less and Listen More
After initiating the conversation, be an active listener. Don’t interrupt the loved one and seek their wishes or comments on the following questions:
- Funeral type, burial, or cremation
- What about the funeral venue
- Type of wake
- A rough idea about the total number of guests
- Any words or funeral readings like poems
- Dress code like traditional black or something else
- Funeral songs/hymns, particularly if they are a music enthusiast
- Burial location or how to scatter the ashes
If they haven’t made a will already, ask about who has power of attorney (POA) who will determine health and final decisions. If possible, ask if they have any life insurance for covering the funeral expenses or any after-work benefits.
3. Have Funeral Conversation Early
What’s most important is asking the right questions. Before starting this important conversation, be sure to prepare a list of all the information you need to arrange a perfect and memorable funeral for the loved one.
That’s why it’s important to have this conversation a bit early when the person is in his or her right mind and can think of amazing ways for their final services. Don’t wait it out for the last minute, else the person is likely to avoid the topic altogether or feel rushed to make unscrupulous decisions.
Another benefit is that such conversation is going to make it slightly easier for you to accept the harsh reality and process the loss. Plus, you’ll get enough time to arrange a perfect funeral service or cremation services Richland, PA, that embodies all the final wishes of your loved one.