By Jamie Sarche, Feldman Mortuary
Jamie Sarche
You die suddenly. Even after a long illness, death always feels sudden.
The first question the hospital, hospice, authority figure asks is, what funeral home? How do your loved ones choose? They have no time to think, so they turn to lists given by the hospital or hospice.
The people who are most affected by your death are the same ones who make the arrangements. If all goes well, the funeral director is committed to helping them to create a funeral or memorial service that is appropriate, meaningful and affordable.
But what if all doesn’t go well? I got an email from a colleague whose friend died suddenly. The mother went to the funeral home to make plans. She showed the director her son’s life insurance policy which had a face value of $52,000. The director convinced her to spend $32K on the funeral.
Of course, the woman was distraught at the time. She felt as though her son, was a hostage.
Suppose you die without a plan in place? What happens to the people you love most? How will they handle the stress of figuring out all the details of the funeral service while arranging for everyone to come into town, and more? Will they have to make quick decisions that they regret the choices made?
Protect the people you love most – give them a last gift by having plans in place before they are needed. By creating a plan with the funeral home, you free loved ones from the burden and potential conflict that can arise. You can pay in full or create a payment plan. Both options freeze costs for the goods and services you select. Pre-planners must be licensed by the Colorado State Division of Insurance and the funds are held in escrow by a third party. Rest assured that the funds will be available when they are needed.
By advance planning, you have the time, emotional and mental capacity to make good decisions.