Discussing funeral homes Mentor, OH will never be easy. However, broaching the subject of last wishes with the loved one who is dying is a gift for them and yourself. Knowing that the family is going to give an honorable closure to their lives can give them emotional satisfaction and courage to live the last days in peace.
It’s always uncomfortable to talk about preplanning a funeral but you can make it a smooth and pleasant conversation if you know the right questions to ask.
Kick-off your conversation with the below questions.
- Do You have a Will?
Only about 42% of American adults have a will – while the number is higher, as expected, for adults having children under age 18. A will is a legal document that outlines what happens to your estate or property after you die.
Other important matters pertaining to children’s caretaker and closing estate affairs are mentioned in the will. So, if your loved one doesn’t have a will, help them meet a lawyer and articulate one. It can give them a sense of satisfaction and inner contentment.
- Do You Want a Traditional Burial or Cremation?
Your emotions can and will run high while asking this question but you should try to do it anyway. Cremation and burial are the two most common funeral types in America. Both can occur immediately after death – with or without memorial service.
Find out what your loved one wants to do with their body after death and what services they want to include during the funeral and/or memorial service. Write down every detail they mention and assure them that you’re going to honor their wishes.
- Do You Have Power of Attorney?
Power of Attorney (POA) is legal a document that allows a person to give another person legal authority to make decisions on his/her behalf. It is extremely important to have a POA when one’s health is deteriorating or becomes incapacitated, both mentally or physically. The POA, rather than your State, will manage their legal and medical affairs.
Similarly, financial power of attorney, unlike POA, is responsible for managing only financial matters or estate affairs on behalf of another person near to dying.
- Have You got Your Financial House in Order?
When a person dies, all of their financial affairs need to be closed within days, and that can require hectic paperwork. The details of the bank accounts, insurances, debts and loans, assets, securities, real estate, and other personal properties have to be put taken care of by the family.
Ask your loved one to put together all financial information in a single secure place to make it easier for the family to access them after their death and fill in the mandatory paperwork, like closing bank accounts and claiming the insurance, if any.
Death is an inevitable reality and we all have to face it at some point. Asking end-of-life questions from your loved one is always difficult, but makes it easier for the bereaved family to give the perfect tribute to the deceased and take care of his/her unfinished financial and legal affairs. Funeral homes Mentor, OH, can help you arrange the details.