Advance Funeral Planning or Preplanning

Simply stated, it is a rare opportunity to help your family when you won't be there to help them... a gift. Like many other aspects of our lives, we plan ahead... Insurances (life, automobile, home) are planned and paid for not in hope that they are needed, but in case they are.

When a death occurs, emotions are high and may impact decision-making. When funeral arrangements are to be made there can be upwards of 70 pertinent questions that may be asked of your loved ones. Thus, advance planning is a record of your wishes and information to be shared with your family. If a funeral is preplanned it is as simple as one phone call to the funeral provider to put those wishes into motion.

We have directors dedicated to assisting you to plan ahead, whether we meet at your home or ours, we are available at your convenience.

We would like to help you; it's as simple as calling one of our Chapels and asking to speak with one of our Advance Planners. We will meet you at your home or ours.

Reasons for Preplanning

Today, more than 50% of the deaths that take place have had some form of plan put in place ahead of time. There are many factors such as inflation, the distance of family members, and many other changes in society that have made preplanning your funeral arrangements make a lot of sense. The top 6 reasons for preplanning out of a survey done recently for a funeral service publication are:

1. Let’s your wishes be knownMany families do not have these types of serious life discussions. Something as simple as if you wish to be buried of cremated can cause a lot of stress and friction between family members at an already difficult time. Making your wishes be known alleviates that stress.
2. Reduces stress for friends and family at an already emotional timeAs mentioned in section 1. Taking the time to make some decisions now alleviates the stress down the road for your loved ones. Plus, if you have prearranged your services, when a death occurs your family can concentrate on their grief work and remembering, and no have to struggle through the decisions and details of the funeral or memorial service.
3. Saves moneyYou decide now what type of arrangements you want and how much you can spend at today’s dollar.
4. Inflation guaranteeWhen you prepay for your wishes it guarantees that your family will never have to pay more for your funeral selections. Your funds are invested into an individual fund which grows over time to offset inflation.
5. It’s a giftMany people who preplan think of it as a gift to their family, again, sparring them of the stress at an already difficult time.
6. Alleviating financial burden on loved onesAgain this can be considered a last gift to your loved ones. A way of peacefully saying their goodbyes and dealing with their grief without the stress of financial burden.

Other thoughts that families have shared that they like about funeral preplanning are:

• SecurityThe fund is individually allocated. It is your money and not the funeral homes. The funeral home can only access the funds once your pass.
• ConvenienceThe arrangement process can not only be done at the funeral home but can be done in the comfort of your own home.
• TransferabilityIn the even that you move from our neighborhood, your funds are fully transferable to any funeral home in Canada.
• ModificationLife evolves, so can your wishes. You can modify parts of your plan to suit your evolving needs.
• Peace of MindKnowing that you have taken away the financial responsibility of your death on your loved ones, and that you have put a plan in place provides true peace of mind.
• Part of Responsible Estate PlanningMuch like compiling as will, naming an executor, and listing powers of attorney for care and finance, preplanning is part of responsible estate planning. It is important to remember not to list funeral instructions in a will as it is often read after the funeral has taken place.

Preplanning Payment Options and Protections

Once you have met with a funeral director and come up with the type of services you would like, financing options are then discussed. We work with families on any budget and the payment options range from a one-time pay to payments monthly and up to 10 years. Be assured though that we will find a plan that will fit.

Guaranteed Travel Assurance

Our Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan is an ideal way to ensure that your loved ones will be shielded from any unexpected financial obligations during your travels.

This plan is designed to take to take care of all of the return travel details should a death occur 100 kilometers or more away from your legal residence. Bringing a loved one back home can be a complicated and expensive process. One phone call is all it takes and the process of bringing you home is immediately in process.

Have confidence knowing that our Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan offers peace of mind and absolutely no risk.

• Assistance is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to cover all of the details
• Available for when you travel more than 100 kilometers away from home, anywhere in the world
• Arranging for preparation and transportation of the deceased to the funeral home
• Pays all costs including rising air costs
• Handles all of the necessary documents including consular services if the death occurs outside of Canada
• Return of travel companion and family pet
• Acceptance is guaranteed regardless of age or medical condition
• One time enrollment fee for lifetime coverage

Preplanning Checklist

Laying the foundation for a well thought out plan for you or a loved one takes a bit of time, but, it's worth every moment spent. After all, you’re setting the stage for a more relaxed and enjoyable life, because you’ll have the peace-of-mind preparedness brings. Here’s what to do to get started:

• Prepare a contact list of individuals who should be notified in a medical emergency or death
• Write an obituary or simply jot down information you would like included in an obituary
• Decide where obituary and memorial information should appear

Choose the type of service you would like including the burial you prefer and make those arrangements. You will need to decide:

• Cemetery lot location
• Casket type; cremation urn type
• Vault or sectional crypt
• Type of service: religious, military, non-denominational, or fraternal
• The contact details for the funeral home you designate to care for you
• Pallbearers, music, flowers, scripture or other readings
• Charity to receive donations in lieu of flowers, if donations are preferred
• Select the speakers and the eulogies that you would want to represent you.
• Decide what organizations or church will benefit from memorial donations in your name.

We offer you a Biography Journal that asks all the questions that are required and then compiles them into one simple booklet for your executor. It keeps track of family history, funeral information, estate details, etc.

Aftercare Program

We are there for you and your loved ones before, during and after their loss. What is Aftercare? Aftercare is a funeral service follow-up consultation that we provide, without charge, following the funeral or memorial service. Its purpose is to help survivors, next of kin, or executors to resolve some of the estate matters that are pressing after loss of a loved one. The service takes about an hour, and can be done at the funeral home or in the comfort of your home. Items that are covered in this consultation include:

• Cancelling
  • Canada Pension Plan Benefits
  • OAS Benefits
  • SIN number and card
  • Health card
• Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security
  • application for lump-sum death benefit
  • application for survivors benefit, and childrens benefits (if applicable)
• Retirement and Pensions
  • private, provincial or federal application for survivor's benefits
• Insurance
  • application for life insurance benefits
  • updating beneficiaries on existing policies
  • continuance of health insurance
• Credit Card Cancellations
  • contacting companies as needed (plus some little known advice about card cancellations)
• Bank Account Updates
  • adding names of children or other survivors
  • confirming bank procedures for closing an account
  • helpful information about joint accounts

If you have any further questions regarding prearrangement or our aftercare program please do not hesitate to contact our preneed/aftercare specialist Jon Griffiths.