How to Financially Plan for a Funeral

Final arrangements for your elderly loved one include more than just the cemetery plot. The type of service or memorial, songs and readings, and flower arrangements are some elderly care considerations when financially planning for a funeral.

You want your loved one to feel confident that their wishes are going to be honored. Find out if your loved one wants their service to have a religious structure. You also want to inquire if they prefer a large service or one that is small and only for close family and friends. Do they wish to be buried or cremated? It will be important to your loved one to know that you are taking an interest in what they want even though they won’t really know what you choose to do.

Sit down with your loved one or gather other family members to have a meeting. Share with everyone about how you as the elder care provider are expected to carry out a loved one’s wishes. Most family members will be grateful that the burden of making decisions about funeral arrangements has already been discussed and decided on.

Planning financially for a funeral in advance isn’t a topic that elderly care providers like to discuss with a loved one but it is necessary in order to alleviate some of the stress when going through the grieving process.

Sound financial planning in advance will have a great impact on a family’s expenses.

• Don’t overspend – Knowing exactly what your loved one’s wishes are regarding services and other arrangements, will help you avoid spending money on things that are not important to your loved one.
• Lock in prices – Making a prearrangement regarding products and services will allow you to lock in on prices at that particular time. What you pay for something today is going to be more expensive in the future. This is considered being financially savvy.
• Shop around for quality and value – Researching different funeral homes in advance and comparing services and prices, ensure that your loved one is getting what they want at a price that is affordable.

Even though the subject of death may be difficult for an elderly care provider to bring up to a loved one, there are many benefits for everyone involved when planning in advance. You may discover that your loved one is eligible for additional benefits, especially if they are a military veteran or civil servant. Having this information in advance will make it easier at the time of their passing.