Planning Ahead
Why Should I Plan Ahead?
Today, more and more people are choosing to plan their funerals in advance. We find that there are three basic reasons why our families think this makes sense.
You can relieve an emotional burden from those you love. By being able to make sound decisions in advance, without stress, you can free your loved ones from this responsibility. This allows them to concentrate on supporting each other, rather than being asked to make major decisions at a very emotional time.
You can express your own wishes. Often families are confused about what is proper. They may agonize over what you would have wanted. By selecting your options in advance, there is no doubt. And, you can even change your mind later, if you wish.
Secure Online Preplanning Form
You can relieve the financial burden from those you love. If you also choose to handle the funding of your funeral in advance, we have plans that will assure that your survivors will never have to pay additional funds for the services and merchandise you selected.
Pre-planning your own funeral makes sense because you take full control of your future now, while saving your family the difficult decisions and the awkward issues of not knowing exactly what you may have wanted. Pre-planning allows you to talk with your family and lets you share your wishes, eliminating the emotional turmoil and burdensome decisions. For those uncomfortable in a funeral home setting we also provide in home calls to pre-plan.
When preplanning your or your loved one’s funeral you may also want to consider pre-paying for the funeral. Pre-paying allows you to pay for the funeral at today’s price. Your money is placed in a secured individual account that earns interest guaranteed to keep up with inflation. You can pre-pay for the funeral all at once or choose to make payments. The account your money is placed in meets Medicaid requirements and has a 30 day money back refund. When you pre-plan and pre-pay for your funeral you assure definite arrangements and no other financial decisions need to be made.
We can also assist you if you already own a life insurance policy to pay for your funeral and are trying to get Medicaid. You may need to assign the ownership of the policy over to the funeral home to meet their requirements.
We would enjoy talking to you about the different options available so you can make an informed decision that is right for you and your family. There is no cost or obligation for our services. But most of all there will be no pressure for you to make any decisions until you and your families are completely satisfied that all of your questions and concerns have been answered.
Benefits of Preplanning
Let Your Wishes Be Known
The death of a loved one often brings about unwarranted stress and turmoil among families. One family member wants one thing, while another family member wants something different. By planning ahead, you help prevent those disagreements by letting your family know what your wishes are and how you want your funeral service to be carried out and your business handled.
Offers Peace of Mind
Our staff guarantees we will carry out the arrangements you want, just as you directed. Once the plans have been arranged, you and your family can rest easy knowing at the time of death, those uncomfortable decisions have been made. In a time when a family should be able to easily grieve, preplanning allows for that to happen.
Flexible Funding Options
When you preplan your funeral arrangements, there are more options when it comes to funding the funeral. A preneed insurance policy, life insurance policy or other payment options can all be arranged before the time of death. At the time of death, services must be paid in full, so having options ahead of time can also reduce other stress related to losing someone.
Relieve the Burden from Family
Following the death of a loved one, there are more than 150 decisions that have to be made within the first day or two following the death. Those stressful decisions on top of the stress of grieving a loss can be eliminated by arranging your final wishes ahead of time. If those decisions are made, your loved ones aren’t left wondering what you would have wanted and how they should proceed with funeral plans. With those decisions out of the way, your loved one can begin the healing process sooner.
Common Questions About Preplanning
What steps are involved in prearranging a funeral?
The first step would be to write down your wishes. Indicate if you would prefer burial or cremation. Write down your ideas for the service you would like, cemetery choice, etc. If you've made those choices, or even if you're unsure, schedule a time to meet with one of our funeral directors who can explain the different service options, merchandise choices, as well as the different ways to pay for the funeral.
What information do I need to prearrange a funeral?
You'll need basic information about yourself or the person you are planning for, such as date of birth, marital status, parent's full names, etc. Besides the biological information, you'll need to choose burial or cremation, what type of service you'd like, what cemetery to use, etc. Our caring staff will help you with this process.
Do I have to pay in advance?
Preplanning is merely making your wishes known; however, most families who do this also choose to pre-fund their funeral. Doing so will relieve the financial burden on your family and offer peace of mind to you.
Can I transfer my plans to or from another funeral home?
If you have plans at another funeral home and would like to move them here, we will help you do that. If you move from the area and would like to transfer your arrangements to another funeral home, we will assist you with that as well.
