Tips For Preplanning A Funeral For A Loved One With A Terminal Illness
If a close family member is struggling with a terminal illness, you may want to do everything you can to help him or her through this difficult time, and one thing you might want to do is talk to him or her about funeral plans. Talking to a person with a terminal illness about a funeral is not always the easiest thing to do, but it can be a great idea so that you can make sure you grant this person the type of funeral they hoped for. Here are several tips to help you do this.
Gently Bring Up the Subject
Some people dying of terminal illnesses will bring up funerals and death, while others avoid talking about it. If your loved one brings up this subject, it will open up a conversation for you to have with him or her about what he or she wants in a funeral. If your loved one does not bring it up, you may want to gently address the topic in conversation. You may want to feel the person out a little by briefly mentioning something to do with a funeral, and you could judge from the person's reaction whether to continue talking about it or change the subject.
Make It All About Your Loved One
When you talk about it, one of the best things to do is to make sure your loved one knows that you are doing this out of kindness and compassion. You should let him or her know that you care about what he or she wants with a funeral, and that is the reason you want to talk about it.
By talking to your loved one about funeral arrangements, you will be able to know exactly what this person's wishes and hopes are for the funeral. When you know these things, you will be able to plan the funeral according to what your loved one wanted.
Talk to a Funeral Home
If your loved one is willing, take him or her to a funeral home to talk about plan. If this is not possible, you could just ask him or her the important questions you need to know. These questions may include:
- Do you want to be buried or cremated?
- Do you want a service held in your honor?
- Are there any organizations you would like memorials to be made to?
- Would you like anyone in particular to talk or sing at your funeral?
Pre-planning a funeral is not always possible, but it can be a good thing to do when you have a loved one who is dying from a terminal illness. To learn more about this subject, contact a funeral home for more info.