Where to Begin with End of Life Planning

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By Jacob Maslow

You have likely lost a loved one at some point in your life. If not, you will eventually and are fortunate that you have not had to deal with that pain yet. If you have, you know how devastating it is. 

When the loss is someone in your immediate family, it may be your responsibility to make all of your loved one’s arrangements. If they did not have an end-of-life plan, you have to try your best to determine how they would want everything handled. This can be especially difficult while grief is flooding your mind. You second guess every choice because you just want your loved one to be honored appropriately, and you may also have to deal with other family members second-guessing every choice you make.

Once you start the process, you may realize you never thought about all the questions that will need to be answered. For example, do you know how you want the body to be handled? There are now several options when it comes to the burial process. You have to decide on a coffin if you are performing a traditional burial, or there is the option of natural burial in some states and cremation.

These questions are just the tip of the iceberg, and this is why end-of-life planning is so important. When you have an end-of-life plan, you can be confident that everything will be handled the way you want once you pass away. An end-of-life plan also takes a lot of pressure off of your loved ones in their time of grief.

End of Life Planning

When you are ready to start working on your end-of-life plan, you will likely question where you should start. Several companies offer these services. Some companies even offer the services virtually. Some have programs that will walk you through the whole project step by step.

There are so many questions to answer, and it can be overwhelming without the proper guidance. Make sure to find a reliable company to help walk you through every step and prepare a plan for any scenario. Unfortunately, we have no idea what the future holds, but creating a plan ahead of time can save your loved ones a lot of time and trouble.

Understandably, this subject is uncomfortable, but your family must know you are making plans and what they are. They need to have access to your end-of-life plan so they can follow it. They may not want to discuss it, but it is essential to work through these tricky details before it is too late. We all know how accurate the saying is that “we are not promised tomorrow.”

To wrap up, thinking and especially talking about the end of your life is uncomfortable; however, it is necessary. It will not be fun to work through, but you need an end-of-life plan. This will provide your loved ones with some comfort after you pass. It will be comforting not to have to worry if they are carrying out your final wishes in a manner that would satisfy you. They also will not have to deal with other family members second-guessing every decision they make throughout the process. Leave your family one final gift: let them know you made an end-of-life plan.

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