End of Life Planning

If you’ve already filled out a living will and made all your end-of-life plans, you should talk to your family so that they are aware of your final wishes. Your family might not bring the issue up, so it’s up to you to take the first step in broaching the subject.

This discussion doesn’t have to be difficult or uncomfortable, and ultimately, if handled properly, both you and your family will be much better off because of it. You’ll know your end-of-life plans will be fulfilled, and your family will be relieved of any difficult decisions many people must make after a loved one dies.

How To Share Your End-of-Life Plans With Loved Ones?

These tips are meant to help you talk with your family and close friends about your deeply personal wishes after you die.

 Explain Why You Decided To Make These Plans

Something probably happened to you recently that got you to consider making these end-of-life plans. If it’s health-related, then this is the first thing you need to explain to your family, letting them know your diagnosis and prognosis. If it’s not health-related, then what happened to make you plan your funeral?

Was it something you read or an experience another friend of family member went through that caused you to think about your plans?

Explaining whatever motivated you is probably going to help your family understand why you made these decisions, and why you need to share them with your family.

Share Some of Your Beliefs

Some of your end-of-life plans might not be popular with your loved ones, as they have might their own ideas about death and religion. By you sharing your beliefs ahead of time, explaining your own views on death and your spiritual beliefs, they’ll see that these decisions were based on that.

Asking Them to Follow Your Wishes

In the end, you want to have this conversation because you want your end-of-life plans to be followed. This includes things you’ve covered in your living will, like whether you’d prefer to die at home or in a facility, or what happens if you become incapacitated.

Your family should understand that this conversation is necessary to save them from worrying about what to do after you’ve died. An uncomfortable discussion now about whether you want to be cremated or not, what type of funeral you would like or where you’d like to be buried will ultimately help them.

If your end-of-life plans include a funeral in the South Florida area, talk with the people at The Gardens of Boca Raton Cemetery & Funeral Services to help preplan your funeral. Call them at (561) 989-9190, or visit their offices in Boca Raton.