Having A Conversation With Your Parents About Burial Life Insurance

As we age, we begin to encounter more realities which seemed to reside in a distant future. Retirement and financial stability, medical costs and overall health concerns, and questions of mortality begin to become more prevalent. And not just for ourselves, but for the rest of our families, especially our parents and older relatives. These issues and subsequent conversations aren’t usually something most of us want to broach, yet they are realities for all of us.

Still, there are ways to go about having frank, yet sensitive discussions about these adult topics. In this post, we’re going to discuss having conversations with parents about burial life insurance. There are some effective steps to take in order to be prepared and sensitive to all parties involved.

Research and Preparation

One of the most effective plans is to prepare yourself, as well as your parents, by conducting thorough research into what your options are, the costs, and other related specifics you’ll need to consider. The most widely used policies are burial life insurance and preneed funeral insurance.

Although many plans will offer similar benefits, some will offer specific plans for the needs of certain religious practices. Additionally, there will be specifics regarding the preparation of the body, either for a coffin burial or for other methods, such as cremation.

Have you ever discussed any of your relatives’ wishes? For many, this can be such a delicate subject that they have never wanted to discuss. In order to abide by a person’s wishes, the conversations must happen, which brings us to our next point.

Location and Attendance

Many families are now conducting family discussions about their burial wishes long before an illness or terminal situation arises. This allows your parents and older adults an opportunity to express exactly what they want, with clear judgement, free of excessive duress.

When planning such a conversation, consider who should be in the room. All immediate family should be there, excluding children, as a small child can be more of a distraction in such a somber situation. A close friend or confidant or even clergy member might also want to be in attendance, to offer additional moral support. Keep the meeting on task and focused. Save your reminiscing and sharing stories for after, when the serious discussions have concluded. This won’t probably be the happiest occasion, but remind yourself and the others that you are conducting this meeting in order to have less turmoil when a loved ones passing actually occurs. Then, when the meeting is concluded, have a celebration of life to lighten the mood and share laughs and memories.

Conversations of mortality with family, especially our parents, is difficult, but you can find creative, compassionate, and effective methods for having these discussions, which leave everyone satisfied and prepared.