How to Talk to Your Family About Preplanning

Here at Spring Grove, we’ve noticed a recent trend of more and more Cincinnati families planning their end-of-life arrangements in advance.

Some individuals choose to do it as soon as they retire. They are expressing their own preferences while also removing a huge burden from their families. As a result of preplanning, they have the assurance that when the time comes, their loved ones will immediately know exactly what they wanted.

Once those who preplan experience the peace of mind that comes with the process, they often want to encourage their own family members to put their preferences in writing.

It can be difficult to approach family members with a sensitive topic like end-of-life planning. Here are some tips to help you bring up the subject of preplanning with your loved ones.

· Address the elephant in the room and acknowledge that thinking about death is neither easy nor comfortable.

· Remind your family members that death is a part of life, and we don’t always know when it will occur.

· Explain the benefits of preplanning with them. Ask our team at Spring Grove for additional resources in having this conversation. Our FAQs page on our website is a great place to start.

· Recognize that some members of your family may not wish to preplan their arrangements and that is perfectly acceptable. They may need time to process the information you’ve given them or could decide to plan at a later time.

· If you’ve already preplanned your own service, share some reasons why you chose to do so and how you feel now that your final wishes are in order and kept in a safe place.

· Assure your loved ones that there is no pressure to immediately start planning. They can arrange to meet privately with our planning experts here at Spring Grove or complete their arrangements online at a time that is convenient for them.

· If they wish, offer to help them make their plans.

· Reassure them of how much you love them and that you only want to bring them peace of mind regarding the future and their final wishes. Preplanning is truly a gift of love.

Our staff at Spring Grove is here to help you and your entire family with end-of-life arrangements. We can even talk you through how a conversation about preplanning might go for you and your family. Reach out to us anytime or begin the planning process directly through our website.