Planning your funeral in advance can make a difficult time easier for your family.
Keeping a record of what you’d like when it comes to the service and burial or cremation, can take a lot of pressure off family members at a time when they’re likely to be very stressed. Grief can affect our ability to make considered decisions and it can be overwhelming to think of all the things that need to be done. Even though talking about death is a difficult thing to do, planning ahead is such a helpful thing to do.
“It can make things much easier for the family after someone has died, but can also offer you peace of mind to think you have done this for your family,” says Kaye Shannon, the manager of Sibuns Funeral Directors & Advisors.
Kaye says funeral directors are happy to meet with people to talk them through what they’d like, so there is no uncertainty after they’ve passed away. It’s a particularly good idea if you’d like some especially personal touches as part of your funeral, or if there are certain things you definitely don’t want.
Sibuns Funeral Directors can supply you with a free pre-planning pack which enables you to record your information as required by the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, as well as including details of who needs to be notified of your passing and also your preferences for your funeral.
“People do find it is a useful thing to do. Straight away you can see that it’s like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. Similar to writing a will, there is satisfaction in knowing that everything is taken care of.”
This recorded information is also greatly appreciated by families. “We have a lot of people saying it gives them peace of mind and a sense of direction in the planning of a funeral because the person who has died was able to have their input into the music or the readings or the casket. It is gratifying to see that their wishes are then carried out,” Kaye says.
The other thing you can talk to a funeral director about in advance is the cost. This can help to avoid a financial burden on your family, who may otherwise have to pay for the funeral themselves. The FDANZ Funeral Trust allows people to pay for part, or all of their funeral. The money is paid into the trust and released to the funeral director at the relevant time.
While a major life change like going into a rest home or being diagnosed with a serious illness may prompt you to begin planning your funeral, it’s never too soon to start thinking about what you may want.
Sibuns Funeral Directors & Advisors, 582 Remuera Road, T: 09 520 3119, www.sibuns.co.nz
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