It can be difficult to know what to do and what not to do when a loved one passes away, especially if you’re not part of the family but are that person’s caregiver. Depending on how close you are to the family, you may consider a prepaid funeral plan to help alleviate any pressure or responsibility on grieving family members.
As difficult as this time may be for all involved, a caregiver has the opportunity to be a source of strength and comfort to the family, as well as a help in the time of grief to arrange things like the funeral and all the administration that comes with death. If you’re a caregiver and you find yourself in this position, let’s take a look at some of the ways you can be of help and value during the funeral planning process.
This is probably the most important way you can be of help and service during this process. Caregivers must understand that this is a time of severe pain and loss for their loved ones, which means they will not always be willing or even able to actively plan or make decisions when it’s needed.
This is okay and must not be pushed. Let loved ones take their time and take necessary breaks. Be intentional about checking in with them outside the planning process and on a more personal level. Lend your ear to someone who may just want to vent a little bit with you or even cry with you. This will be of the utmost value to anybody grieving.
Many can attest to the love and support they’ve felt when they’ve had somebody to lean on in times of grieving. This is an invaluable way you can assist and make your presence felt in the best possible way.
The key to setting a budget for a funeral is that it should be done beforehand. This doesn’t mean that you look for ways to save money on the funeral for reasons of value, but rather it’s a way to safeguard yourself from getting carried away with various costs and additions to the process.
The whole purpose of the funeral should be to honour the deceased’s life, and you equip and prepare yourself to do just that when you set a budget for the funeral beforehand. This can be your guide to the perfect memorial for the loved one who has passed away.
If you find yourself tasked with planning the funeral for the deceased, it can be quite overwhelming to find prices and get quotations from different funeral homes. Funeral costs can mount up if you’re not careful, and in the midst of a loved one passing, it can be challenging to separate the planning process from the pain you may be feeling.
This is why taking an objective friend along to the funeral home is a good idea. They can be extremely helpful when it comes to conversations on costing and negotiating monthly funeral plans.
Many funeral homes offer multiple options and packages for consumers to peruse, but these packages often include things you may not need or even want. This is where it’s important for caregivers to ask the right questions and request an itemised list of what the packages include so that you can eliminate anything you won’t be needing for the memorial.
This is a good way to save the family money on possibly paying for things they will not need for the service.
It’s important to go into the funeral planning process with some foreknowledge of your rights as a funeral service consumer. You may find it valuable to know what’s expected of funeral homes and what kind of service you’re entitled to.
There are specific rights that everybody who is planning a funeral has, and these include being able to receive quotes over the phone, receiving itemised price lists, and receiving a written statement of your purchases before paying for them. You’re also entitled to use a casket or urn that you purchased at a different company without having to pay specific additional fees.
All of these points are important to note so that you can make the correct decisions for the best funeral service.
All the information mentioned above will be extremely helpful to any caregiver who is tasked with planning a funeral for a family, particularly if you’ve never planned one before. Keep asking questions and educating yourself to the best of your ability, and remember to treat the process with care, compassion, and the utmost respect it deserves.
