Monthly Archives: July 2021

Important End-of-Life Questions to Ask Your Loved One

Planning for cremation services Waite Hill, OH, is never easy.

Talking about the death or after-life planning with your loved one is probably the most awkward and difficult conversation one can have. But at some point, we all face death and some end-of-life questions need to be asked to ensure smooth final arrangements.

So, whenever you’re ready to kick off your conversation, here’re some of the questions you should ask:

Who is Your Medical Power of Attorney?

This person, also known as a healthcare proxy or power of attorney, stands at your bedside and makes all the important end-of-life decisions your loved one wants if they are dying and are unable to do so.

For instance, this may be required if the loved one has a sudden heart attack or a severe stroke, goes into a coma, or experiences any debilitating illness like Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, or other cognitive disorders that limits the ability to speak or write. In such a situation, the proxy makes legal decisions for the patient.

Hospice Care or Not?

Not too long ago, most people would choose to die at home or in a hospital as it was the only viable option but now, an increasing number of people are choosing to receive hospice care or palliative care.

The goal is to provide empathetic care and emotional support to the patient and treat them with utmost dignity, respect, and love. Ask the loved one if there’s any specific place where they would want to get hospice care.

Do They Have a Will?

According to a 2020 study, about 32% of American adults have a will, so there’s a high probability that your loved one doesn’t have a will in place. Have a pleasant discussion with them and ask about their final wishes.

It’d be better if you can arrange an attorney to help your loved one create a will and then, keep it at a secure place at the lawyer’s office, in a safety deposit box, or any fireproof safe. You should also have it photocopied in case the original document is damaged.

Have They Organized the Financial Information?

Ask your loved ones to arrange and organize their financial information in a secure place. It includes the details of their income and liabilities, bank accounts, credit cards, real estate, assets, and personal properties.

Let them decide how and where they want to donate or transfer their ownership of property. Organizing the financial details will save the family from being scammed and this document should be accessed only after the death of the loved one.

How Would They Love to Be Celebrated After Death?

This question entails details about the funeral arrangements and end-of-life arrangements of your loved one. Starting from choosing the final disposition method and site, ask if there’s any specific funeral home or burial ground or should you arrange for Cremation followed by a scattering of ashes in a unique way.

Also, ask and write down their biggest achievements, dreams, and goals, and how they would want the coming generations to remember them. Such personal details will help you customize cremation services Waite Hill, OH, and make sure their legacy lives on.

5 Little-Known Facts About Hospice Care

Funeral homes Waite Hill, OH, and hospices are connected. Hospice Care is a frequently used term by the family and patients it serves. It is a philosophy of care for people suffering from terminal diseases or those near the end of their lives (six months or less to live).

The concept is simple and the number of people receiving this service has been on the rise but still, many misconceptions linger about it. Whether you’re a patient, a family member, or a guardian, having the correct information about hospice care is indispensable to decide whether or not this service is appropriate.

Entering Hospice Care is Not Giving Up

Unlike what many people seem to believe, choosing to receive hospice care isn’t giving up on life or all medical care, it is about speaking up about what you want at the end of your life. One can continue seeing the regular doctor and take the necessary medication.

The ultimate goal of hospice care is to provide emotional support to the patients, provide the best possible care to them, and fulfill their last wishes.

Hospice Care Can Happen at Any Location

Hospice care is not a “specific place” but the philosophy of emotional and physical care involving the patient’s whole support system.

One can receive hospice care at any place of their choosing it can be your home or your loved one’s, a skilled nursing or residential care facility, and surrounded by people and things close to their hearts. Generally, patients prefer to receive care in their homes or the places they call home.

It Isn’t About Just Elderly or Cancer Patients

According to the American Hospice Foundation, hospice care is available for all people, regardless of their age and disease, though most of them are elderly and cancer patients.

Mostly, hospice patients have life-ending medical conditions like end-stage lung, heart, or renal diseases, neurological disorders, ALS, dementia, and so on. These people seek comfort and quality of life instead of pursuing a regular cure for illness.

Almost twenty percent of hospice patients are under age 65 and around half of them are diagnosed with diseases other than cancer.

Life Expectancy Increases with Hospice Care

Statistics show that hospice patients live longer by an average of 29 days. The will and strength of the patient to live longer are strengthened once the illness and its symptoms are better controlled and treated and the patient is provided emotional and physical well-being.

The constant care and love they receive from the staff and their family members give them the fortitude to battle the terminal illness with all the power they have and it increases their life expectancy.

A Patient Can Change Mind Anytime

The best thing about hospice care is that you can opt out of it anytime you want. As a patient’s needs and medical condition vary with time, so do his priorities. If someone wants aggressive medical treatment, then hospice care isn’t the best option and they can come out of it.

Similarly, a patient can choose to opt back anytime later, as long as they qualify for the services. Choosing hospice care is often the step before funeral homes Waite Hill, OH.

Here Are 4 Good Reasons to Publish an Obituary

Obituaries come before funerals and cremation services Mentor, OH. For Americans, the obituary is not just the official death announcement of a person. It’s much more than that; it’s their life story and their contributions and achievements to make sure their memory lives on.

Yes, the times are changing rather quickly and so do the funeral traditions but some traditions are worth keeping – and obituary is amongst them. Here are a few reasons justifying why it’s a good idea to acknowledge the loved one’s death in print, either in a local newspaper or online.

Paying Tribute to the Loved One

Every person has a unique life story that deserves to be heard and preserved. An obituary is the best way to pay tribute to the loved one as it provides a window into how they lived their life and what makes them so special.

Apart from including basic life facts, an obituary includes a description of the major event of the deceased’s life, their hobbies, favorite food and sports, work history, and lifetime achievements. The whole community gets to know about them and offers their respect.

Preserving Their Legacy

It may be easy for many to assume that the person has lived and died and has become part of history. But an obituary ensures that their legacy lives on for future generations to remember them. It’s a historical document including important dates, places of birth, maiden names, and names of the immediate family members.

If people publish the lost loved one’s personal information and key moments only on social media, they’d vanish down the timeline too quickly. That’s why they are permanently preserved through the obituary. Many a time, genealogy researchers rely on obituaries to trace someone’s roots through obituaries.

Sharing the Loss with Community

An obituary is a public announcement of death to let everyone know that your loved one has passed. Community members look to the local newspapers to find out about the local residents who have died. They show up to offer their condolences, prayers, and empathies with the bereaved family and offer help as well.

Research shows that sharing grief with the general community and getting condolences can be of big help in getting over the loss. Knowing that you’re not alone and the community acknowledges your loss gives you strength and determination to return to the normal routine quickly.

Part of the Grieving Process

Writing an obituary is an important step in the grief journey. It helps you accept the fact that the loved one has left forever and though they are not present physically, their memories will always live with you.

Remembrance is a big part of grieving and an obituary gives you a chance to review your life too and see if there’s the thing you’d like to do differently. While jotting down the memories, you reflect on why the person was so important and special to you. Ultimately, it helps you move forward in your life after cremation services Mentor, OH.

How Memorials Help Honor Lost Loved Ones

It’s necessary to find funeral homes Mentor, OH, when your loved one dies. Losing someone close to your heart is indeed incredibly emotional, but it’s also an inevitable reality of life.

While most Americans choose to honor their loved ones by arranging a memorial service, funeral service, or other similar ceremonies, but some people feel that planning a funeral or celebration of life is a burden.

While it’s understandable to feel the burden of holding a service at the time of heightened grief, here’re some of the reasons justifying why everyone should have a service to honor their loved one.

Allows Friends and Family to Pay Tribute
Honor the Deceased’s Memory
It Allows You to Say Final Goodbye
It Helps You Adapt to the New Reality
Reignite Relationships

Allows Friends and Family to Pay Tribute

Many bereaved families don’t realize the importance of getting together with their loved ones and allowing them to offer their condolences and respect for the deceased.

When friends and family grieve together, comfort and support one another, and reflect how the departed soul positively impacted so many people’s lives, you can get the emotional will and resilience to move past the grief in a healthy way.

Honor the Deceased’s Memory

A funeral or a memorial service is an ideal way to preserve the memory of the deceased and pass their legacy on to the next generations. It’s a special event where the lost loved one is honored and celebrated for all their achievements and contributions to the community and country at large.

The guests often share the memories and stories of the deceased filled with love and happiness that you didn’t know. It allows the bereaved family to honor and preserve their legacy.

It can be emotional to show respect and tribute for the amazing life they have lived.

It Allows You to Say Final Goodbye

A funeral or a memorial service allows you to say goodbye to the deceased for one last time. Offering your tribute in the presence of friends and family can be an important step in the healing process.

While practicing final rituals, you create tons of memories that you carry on forever.

It Helps You Adapt to the New Reality

Mourning the loss is considered important in the grief journey to move forward and get back to the normal routine.

One of the powerful emotions associated with the loss of a loved one is denial and anger – especially when the loved one is passed away suddenly or unexpectedly. It’s natural to accept that something this tragic can happen to you.

A lot of studies prove that arranging a funeral service helps the grieving seek peace and solace and accept the new reality. It encourages you to come to terms with the loss and transition to the new life without the loved one.

Reignite Relationships

Connecting with friends and family and receiving condolences on one dedicated day help you reconnect with them and forego any minor differences you might have had with any of them.

Even though being at funeral homes Mentor, OH, is a sad event and the bereaved family and the attendees are experiencing a whirlwind of emotions, but it can reunite relationships, reignite family bonds that have grown apart over time.

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