CARING FOR YOUR FAMILY'S EVERY NEED

Afterthoughts: Peace of Mind with Prearrangements

Scott D. Conklin, Funeral Director
Scott D. Conklin
For many people, talking about their own funeral wishes is often met with discomfort and discouragement by family or friends. However, research confirms that more and more people are deciding to prearrange their funerals. According to a 2005 survey cited by the National Funeral Directors Association, three out of four respondents felt it was better to prearrange their own services and slightly more than one-third had already done so.

Meeting with a funeral director to talk about your funeral wishes isn't morbid. In reality, it can provide stress relief and peace of mind to talk with a caring funeral director. Here are some comments we often hear from individuals after they have made funeral prearrangements:

Download a Funeral Prearrangement Information Form

1)
I had specific requests about my funeral and wanted to make things clear for my family.

Making funeral prearrangements helps family and friends honor your wishes about the type of services, casket, and outer receptacle you request. You can even select the type of flower arrangements, memorial cards, and newspapers for obituary and classified death notices.
2)
I didn't realize that my will isn't an absolute safeguard to ensure that my funeral wishes will be followed.

In some instances, a person's last will and testament can't be located at the time immediately following a death when arrangements must be made. Informal or un-notarized documents stating a person's funeral wishes may be incomplete and are often not legally-binding.
3)
If something happened to me, I felt better knowing my arrangements were taken care of.

Funeral prearrangements can range from meeting with a funeral director to provide biographical information and discussing your funeral requests to pre-paying some to all of prearranged expenses. You can establish a pre-payment account with any amount to begin and send additional payments at your convenience. You decide what is best for you.
4)
I realize I can make better informed decisions when I'm not feeling emotionally stressed.

Technology and industry improvements have created numerous options in choices of caskets, outer receptacles, and funeral-related merchandise. Making prearrangements offers the additional option of "not choosing" now and having extra time to finalize a choice at your convenience.
5)
I didn't know that pre-paid funeral expenses are deposited in an interest-generating account in my name to help offset any cost increases in services and merchandise.

As required by law, funeral homes must deposit pre-paid funeral expenses in the person's name in interest-generating accounts and provide on-demand and yearly updates on interest accrued. While funeral homes are not required to guarantee the cost of a pre-paid funeral, most people let the interest in the account accumulate to offset any future cost increases.


Download a Funeral Prearrangement Information form or to schedule a prearrangement meeting, please call us at (845) 877-1400.
 
Dutchess, Putnam, Ulster Funeral Directors Association
P.O. Box 99 - 3159 Route 22 Dover Plains, NY 12522

Telephone (845) 877-1400    Fax (845) 877-3250
Larry House
Manager
Funeral Director