© Copyright 2019 Grief Probate Journey Blog
We are once again pleased and honoured to be publishing our third guest blog from Emma Grace Brown. We first worked with Emma on a topic in 2020. At that time Emma reached out to us about the current times we were living in due to the worldwide pandemic. Last year Emma reached out to us with a great article on How to Deal with Sleep Problems During Grief. Both of these topics resonated with us and we were delighted to share them with our readers. We feel the same way about this topic. Talking about the end of life can be such a taboo subject and topic, but especially with the times we are still living in right now, it is even more important, and therefore we would like to share this with our readers.
Emma Grace Brown Bio:
Emma Grace Brown lives her life by her rules; and it works! When she’s not snuggling puppies, Emma promotes female empowerment through her website. Her mission is to help those who live with self-doubt to realize they don’t have to mold themselves to conventionality.
3 Simple Steps to Make Pre-Planning Your Own Funeral Easier
No one likes thinking about their own death or the death of someone they love. Having a conversation about plans for death with family and loved ones can be difficult at times because of the emotions involved.
However, learning how to have a conversation about such unpleasant topics now can provide an immense amount of relief for them in the future. That’s because planning for your own funeral is honestly one of the most thoughtful gifts you could ever give to your friends and family. It frees them of the burden of decision-making in the face of ambiguity and grief. So, if you need some help getting started with end-of-life planning, here are some basic steps you will need to cover, provided by Grief Probate Journey.
Find the Right Type of Life Insurance Coverage
When most people think about paying for funerals, they tend to think that standard life insurance is their best option. In reality, though, there are a few other insurance plans that can help offset funeral expenses for surviving family members.
For example, you could look into final expense insurance during your end-of-life planning. A burial insurance policy is set up to specifically cover funeral costs and can be especially helpful for seniors or family caregivers who are pre-planning funeral arrangements. These plans can range in cost depending on factors like age, sex, current health, and coverage amounts. Burial insurance and final expense insurance are very similar in that they both offer coverage for funeral costs, but you can also use any remaining benefits to pay for other end-of-life expenses.
Use an Online Funeral Checklist When Planning
There are so many reasons why people put off planning for their own end-of-life. Many people may think they are too young or healthy to worry about pre-planning their funerals, while many more are simply uncomfortable thinking about their own death. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, the latter may not apply, but you may have your own reasons for delaying this crucial life planning step. You may feel overwhelmed by all the steps involved in this process, which is why using a planning guide can be beneficial.
These handy checklists will give you a good idea of the choices involved in planning a memorial service, like deciding on a burial method and coordinating memorial displays. You may find it helpful to convert a Safari page as a PDF so you can have this checklist saved onto your personal tablet or device. Then you can access it whenever you need it, regardless of your internet connectivity.
Although the steps within the checklists may feel trivial now, keep in mind that forming even the simplest of choices can feel impossible for family members who are overwhelmed by grief. So, by putting together a detailed plan ahead of time and talking to loved ones, you can ensure that your final wishes are carried out, but you can also protect your family from any additional pain as they process their feelings of grief.
Stay Objective When Making Funeral Decisions
Of course, another benefit of pre-planning a funeral is that you can keep funeral costs low, which can be so much easier when grief is not part of the planning process. Saving money on a funeral can be as simple as choosing a less-expensive casket, purchasing an urn ahead of time, or just shopping around for funeral homes.
Keeping final expenses low also means keeping your own emotions in check during the planning process. Dealing with the emotions surrounding death is never easy, especially when that death is your own or is imminent, so allow yourself time to process these complicated thoughts and emotions before you dive into planning. Also, know that planning for a “good death” can relieve anxieties you may feel right now, which is an added benefit of planning for end-of-life arrangements well ahead of time.
Contemplating your death and funeral may be stressful, but doing so during a time of grief can be even more stressful for the people who are left behind. So, give your loved ones and yourself some peace of mind by pre-planning for your funeral, final wishes, and end-of-life expenses.
Grief is an individual process, but there are some common things we learn through grief that can help others. That’s what Grief Probate Journey is all about. We faced the death of a loved one and learned about emotion and the law surrounding death. We share that on our site. Visit us to learn from our experiences and grieve in your own way.
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Emma Grace Brown
Emmagracebrown.com + emma@emmagracebrown.com
Grief Probate Journey 