Planning a funeral can be a difficult experience, for people and families dealing with grief and stress. Many funeral homes can help individuals to preplan and even prepay for funerals. While this is not something many people want to think about in advance, it helps family members to follow the wishes of the deceased, and takes some of the burden off their shoulders.

Funeral planning is an essential and compassionate service
For most people and families, having to plan a funeral is a time of crisis. They will be dealing with the grief and stress of losing a loved family member or close friend. Funeral homes recognize their grief and have developed practices to help them through this time in a respectful and sympathetic manner.
For people who have undergone the experience of planning funeral services for a loved one, there is no doubt that funeral homes provide an essential and compassionate service. They would agree with the respondents in a recent Harris Poll, 82% of whom agreed that funeral homes provide valuable services.

Funeral planning and prepayment
Many funeral homes also offer individuals the option for funeral planning in advance, to save their families and friends the burden of making these difficult choices without guidance. From expressing a preference for cremation or burial to the option to prepay costs, these make it easier for family members, since carrying out the individual?s final wishes can be a form of farewell.
For all of these reasons, many people choose preplanning and prepaying for funerals. The results of a survey by AARP show that a third of people have done some kind of funeral pre-planning and one fourth have paid for their funeral costs in advance.

Celebrating a life
In a time of grief, having a sense of ritual to fall back can be a comfort. Funeral homes that offer both cremation services and burial can help family member decide on the best choices. They can also make all arrangements for a respectful ceremony that can begin the process of healing.
A funeral service is a difficult time for family and friends, but it’s also an opportunity for a respectful farewell and to remember and celebrate the individual?s life. The 2015 Harris Poll survey found that for 82% of people over 40, a funeral service is a chance to pay tribute to a friend or family member and to give thanks for their life.

For the majority of families faced with the task of making funeral arrangements, funeral home directors are a source of information and comfort. They can help give their loved family members and friends a final farewell and begin the process of healing.