Estate Planning: Your Final Wishes

There is a lot to consider when making arrangements for your final wishes and estate planning is an important part of the process to relieve pressure for you and your family.

Estate planning is a four-tier process that includes all the steps necessary in organizing your final wishes, from updating your will and naming your power of attorney, to planning a health directive and having a plan for funeral arrangements. Dave Citulsky is a funeral director and has dealt with a lot of people in their final step of estate planning.

"More and more people are taking control of their final wishes," said Citulsky. "Every decision you can assist your family in making helps them through the grieving process."

Funeral planning is a lot more than just choosing a burial over a cremation. Citulsky finds that sometimes parents have trouble talking about their funeral arrangements with their children because it is not something their children want to think about. Instead, the parents make all of their arrangements with the funeral home, so when the time comes a lot of the tough decisions have already been made. Citulsky said estate planning is an important way to help remove stress during a difficult time.

"When the time comes that we lose a loved one, the stress level is unbelievable and the family is not thinking clearly," said Citulsky. "People should make sure they have their final wishes down on paper and let their family know -- even if you don't tell your family what your wishes are -- where to find them."

With the cost of a funeral in Portage la Prairie ranging between $1,000 and $10,000, Citulsky said that estate planning is something people should really be considering after they reach the age of 50.

"The earlier you do it the better off it'll be for you," said Citulsky. "I really stress that anybody 50 to 60 should be looking at it; by the time you're 60 to 70, you should have it already done."

Estate planning can be an emotional process and confronts some issues we may not want to think about; however, Citulsky encourages people to consider their preplanning options to make the process easier on themselves and those they care about.

"When families lose a loved one, there are so many emotions that they go through. Pre-planning lets people come into our business and meet with us when they can think clearly, alleviating the stress for everyone."

SOURCE

Final Wishes: A Cautionary Tale on Death, Dignity & Physician-Assisted Suicide
On Death and Dying (Scribner Classics)
Questions and Answers on Death and Dying
The Needs of the Dying: A Guide for Bringing Hope, Comfort, and Love to Life's Final Chapter
I Miss You: A First Look At Death