Planning for a funeral is never easy, no matter the situation. Planning one when your loved one is dying is especially challenging. However, with the right approach, you can come together to create something wonderful. You can make the most of your remaining time to plan the ideal ceremony down to the fine details while enjoying each other's company. Here are some tips for planning a funeral for a dying loved one to help you out.

If your loved one doesn't already have a plan in place, now is the time to get the ball rolling and start making arrangements. It won't be easy, and you could end up with some tough conversations, but it will be worth it. Together, you can decide on the type of service, from a more traditional funeral to a celebration of life, as well as the finer details. Remember that this joint plan not only helps you honour their wishes but will also make things easier for the family as a whole.

Another consideration here is whether your dying family member prefers the idea of burial or cremation. The answer may surprise you if you've never had this sort of discussion before. Go over the different types of cremation services, burial options, and options for remains.

Don't feel the need to plan all of this on your own if you don't have to. You might think that you are doing the kindest thing for your loved one by keeping them out of it. However, you don't want to make a decision they would disagree with. As long as they are still of sound mind and open to discussing their wishes, you can have an honest discussion. It saves a lot of stress and helps bring you closer in those final days.

That level of decision-making can range from big issues like locations and memorials to smaller details like their outfit, music at the service, and who to invite. Again, the answers may surprise you when they have the chance to be honest about their true final wishes. Where necessary, take the time to make suggestions based on the wishes of the family. Just don't become too overbearing or try and take too much control over the situation.

When you and your loved one have decided on everything with a clear plan in place, you need to contact your local funeral home. This will let you turn all those ideas into an official plan as you review all the important details. You can choose the casket, burial plot or urn, the details of the service, and more. The right team can help you both finalize everything with ease in a considerate and sympathetic manner.

It is understandable if you want to wait until after the funeral to handle all of this. Dealing with paperwork and financial or legal matters seems stressful and worthless when your loved one dies. Why spend time dealing with that when you could be with them? Well, it could be a lot harder to handle all this during the grief and pain of their passing. The more you do now, the less there is for surviving family members to worry about later.

You may not realize the extent of the situation either. There are lots of important documents to deal with to be sure that all their affairs are in order. It is also much easier to do so if they are alive to sign off on them. Make sure you deal with their lawyers too to handle the will, estate, and other legal issues. 

 

Once all the important arrangements and legal documents are in order, you can relax. The priority now is to spend quality time with your loved ones before they pass on. Consider taking leave from work to either be home with them full-time or take one final trip together.

Wherever you are for those final days, it is important not to get too caught up in grand gestures. Instead, focus on the little things that you will miss. Talk to them as often as you can to hear their voice and make them laugh to help them enjoy their days. If they can't converse too easily, let music or film do the talking instead.

Sight and sound are important in these final days, but so is touch. This is something that can catch us off-guard. We often wish we could have one last hug with a family member that passed on or wish we'd held their hand at the end.

If you can travel with a loved one and speak freely about your life together, spend the time reminiscing about your youth, old family holidays, or other special days. It will be bittersweet knowing that you won't get the opportunity again, but looking at photos and mementos one last time will also be nice.

It is important to end this by saying there is no right or wrong way to handle the experience when your loved one dies. Everyone will have their own way of coping and saying goodbye. But, you don't want to regret the things you didn't do or wish you'd organized more before their passing. Make a funeral and/or cremation plan, organize their affairs, and then enjoy the time you have left.

The team at Ajax Crematorium & Visitation Centre is on hand to help you with your funeral plans once you and your family member reach a decision. We can help guide you both through the next step and honour their wishes for the letter. Call us at 289-372-3300 today to learn more.