Over the past few years, a great many people have expressed an interest in pre-planning their funeral or the funeral of a relative or friend. These people have realized, for various reasons, one or several benefits of pre-planning.
We have prepared this folder as a helpful guide to explain the various ways that one can pre-arrange, to cover some reasons for pre-planning, and to give you some idea of where to begin if you wish to plan your funeral.
Before we go any further, we need to define the term
Pre-Arrangement and Pre-Financing:
- Pre-Arrangement simply means that service choices are made and possible merchandise chosen in advance of need. In order to make practical, sensible pre-arrangement choices; facts about funeral services are necessary. We can provide you with information concerning the various choices available to you. You can express your preferences for the service, and even make your selection of the casket, vault, etc. We will keep a record of your wishes for the future need.
- Pre-Financing is the setting aside of funds designated for funeral expenses into an insured trust account. There are several ways that pre-financing can be handled. Some people wish to deposit a certain amount to be applied with other funds, such as insurance, to cover expenses. Others deposit a small amount and make payments of the amount of their choice over a period of time. In both cases, interest earned is applied to the trust account for funeral expenses.
Relieve your family of the burden of facing complicated decisions at a difficult time. There are nearly 50 things that must be considered when planning funeral arrangements, so it is important to organize all your important information and express your wishes to free your family from having to attend to the tedious details and paperwork when they need to confront the loss of a loved one. Guard against overspending by designating only the amount that you want spent. By pre-planning, you're able to make these type of decisions when your mind is more at ease.
Going into a retirement or nursing home.
Today, over half of all nursing home residents receive Public Aid benefits. Before going on public aid, funeral arrangements should be made to assure an individual that funds could be available for his loved ones. If you would fail to make arrangements before going on public aid, personal funds are limited to only $1,500. With advanced arrangements with us, one can provide for a funeral of one's choice. So by making arrangements prior to applying for public aid, one can save money by pre-planning.
Living Alone.
Many people live alone with no local family to be consulted in the event of their unexpected death at home. By pre-planning, these people are assured that their wishes will be carried out, regardless of who may be present and making the first stage of decisions following a sudden death.
Moving away or living out of the area.
We handle many services annually of people who were born and raised here and have moved out of the area to start careers and many who have lived here most of their life but moved away at retirement to be with children. Most people wish to be returned to their hometown for funeral services and burial. By pre-arranging their services with us, many are relieved to know that we can handle all of their arrangements, regardless of their location, by calling us first when death occurs.
When writing a Will.
Most people at one time in their life make out a Will. While getting their affairs in order, it is at this point that many people have completed organizing their affairs by pre-arranging their funerals. When writing a Will, one should remember that funeral preferences should be made separate because most of the times Wills are not read until after the funeral. A pre-arranged funeral plan at J.J. Spratt is kept confidential and its contents revealed only to finalize funeral arrangements when the need arises.
After the death of a spouse.
Many have pre-planned their funerals after the death of a spouse because making funeral arrangements is fresh in one's mind and they are more conscious of the reality of death than ever before. Many people have been relieved to plan their services at this time knowing that their service can be as similar as possible to that of their family member.