As a funeral director I know there are many hard discussions to have when it comes with financial and health related decisions.  However, as a child it’s even harder to start these conversations with our parents. 

To think of my parents demise and the decisions and headaches that will be left on me is difficult. However planning ahead is what we do every day.  These types of discussions don’t happen over night it takes time to ease everyone into these topics but it is something all of us need to do.

Questions to Discuss

Do they have a will? 

Many parents don’t want their children to see their will because it may cause hard feelings or fighting.  Well,  let me tell you the families that discuss this together ahead of time have a better understanding and respect for their parents wishes.  If your parents don’t have a will you can either discuss with your family attorney or go online to gather more information. 

Do they have a Power of Attorney? 

POA’s are either a Durable POA or are broken down to Financial POA and Medical POA.  If you are the POA it is good to sit down with them and discuss financial wishes along with medical wishes so you have a better understanding to carry out their requests. If you are the POA make sure you have a copy of the paperwork at your home just in case you need to be activated due to a accident or emergency situation.

Do they have Funeral Arrangements?

Okay I have heard it a thousand times “I don’t care what they do to me. They can throw me in the Ohio river for all I care.”  Reality is they would be in jail if they did that and there are people that care about what happens even if you don’t care. The best is to sit down with a local funeral director and discuss all options and keeping to a budget of your choice.  Families who plan ahead pay less for their funerals. 

All of the above topics are difficult but it’s a start.  There will be more topics to discuss when it comes to aging health of a parent and there are difficult decisions that may have to be made about when should they give up driving, downsizing of house or the possibility of a nursing home.  The more we discuss the situations the more we feel comfortable with the decisions we have to make in the future.

Residents of the greater Cincinnati area looking for thoughtful, compassionate funeral arrangements can turn to the team at Brater-Winter Funeral Home. The funeral directors and staff at Brater-Winter Funeral Home can put together detailed and personalized memorial and funeral services, and they work with families on funeral preplanning. Visit the funeral home's website to consult their funeral arrangement resources, or call directly at (513) 941-1940.