By: James Watson & Joanne Bunton

When you work within the homecare business you become accustomed to the story of families or individuals facing a crisis – a loved one becoming ill or injuring themselves by a fall – and suddenly they don’t know where to turn for help when they need it most. Everyday our offices across Canada receive calls from families facing this precise situation.

It is not always easy to plan ahead for something you cannot anticipate. Even when you can see the need, planning ahead can be very difficult. Consider the example of deciding on whether to plan for moving into a long-term care home versus a retirement home, or to forget that altogether and plan to remain independent in your own home. Each option one has a unique set of advantages, disadvantages and decisions that must be made. An individual’s situation will change over time and thus their needs and preferences too. One of the purposes of the Premier Homecare Services blog is to provide you with information that can help your family and you anticipate and plan for these unforeseen circumstances.

Planning Ahead for Your Funeral

With the woman I have chosen to interview in this article, it is inevitable that we will all require the services of her line of work at one point in time. A licensed Funeral Director, Joanne Bunton will commonly refer to herself as a “Community Outreach Co-ordinator”. She works with Ward Funeral Homes, advocating in her community that you should look to planning your funeral arrangements now, lest more headaches arise in the future. Below, I asked her to shed some light on the topic:

Q: Why Advance Planning?

A: When you plan your funeral in advance, you spare your family from having to make complex decisions at an especially demanding time. As well, you give yourself the ability to make those important choices at your leisure, giving them the time and consideration they deserve – and your family will not have to “second guess” what you might have wanted. There are several options available to help you personalize the funeral service. We can show you how contemporary funeral services allow you to create an event that is most appropriate for both you and your loved ones.

Q: What details are you certain to cover when you sit down with someone?

A: The extent to which people plan in advance and the amount of detail they ask us to keep on file varies from one person to the next. We provide a wide range of options including service details, a comprehensive selection of caskets, cremation urns, burial vaults, stationery and monuments and markers. We’ll discuss the kind of funeral you think would be most appropriate, discuss your options related to burial, cremation or entombment, and guide you through the choice of merchandise. Once those things are known, we are able to explain the costs involved. We’ll also record the “Vital Statistics” information such as your name, address, date of birth, place of birth, Social Insurance Number, occupation and your parent’s names and places of birth.

Q: Does the advance planning incorporate pre-financing for the funeral?

A: Advance Planning does not necessarily mean you have to pre-finance. If you do choose to prepay your arrangements, you can protect yourself against future price increases and spare your family the possibility of unexpected expenses. In fact, effective July 1^st of this year, the tax on a funeral and related cemetery services will increase from 5% to 13%. As we make people aware of this, we’ve noted a marked increase in the number choosing to pre-finance their arrangements in order to avoid the additional 8% tax. The principal and all interest remain on deposit until the time of need to cover the increase in cost due to inflation. Any excess funds will be refunded to your estate and all money is guaranteed, safe and secure. Should you relocate, the pre-paid funds are transferrable to another funeral service provider. Pre-paying your funeral eases the financial burden that can surround unprepared families and friends at the time of loss.

Q: Beyond simply planning and financing the funeral service, what other related things should someone anticipate?

A: During the advance planning discussions, we are often asked about Powers of Attorney, Wills, Living Wills, Organ Donation, Memorial Donations, Estate Settlement, Canada Pension Plan Benefits and other matters unique to each individual situation. You should definitely anticipate leaving with a more secure and settled state of mind knowing that you have done a good thing not only for yourself, but for those you love and care for.

Ward Funeral Homes – http://www.wardfuneralhome.com/

Related Blog Articles about Planning Ahead:

• My Parents Need Help, Where do I Begin? (Feb. 12, 2009)
• Where do I Begin? – Homecare (Feb. 26, 2009)
• Homecare: Questions You Might Ask (Feb. 26, 2009)
• Where do I Begin? – Retirement Homes (Mar. 12, 2009)
• Where do I Begin? – Moving Solutions (Mar. 26, 2009)

Other Informative Blog Articles:

• Veterans Independence Program (May 7, 2009)
• Q&A with Dr. Michael Gordon (July 2, 2009)
• Anticipating the Flu Season & H1N1 (Sept. 1, 2009)
• Coming Home after Hospitalization: What to Expect (Dec. 3, 2009)
• A Palliative Care Story, by Jane Teasdale (Jan. 28, 2010)
• Regulatory Changes to the Live-in Caregiver Program (Mar. 25, 2010)

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