Carrying out your wishes

Take it from someone who has been in the mortuary business his whole career and managed thousands of funerals, preplanning is the best way to make sure your wishes are followed.

Oftentimes if a person passes without planning, they leave their loved ones with the burden of making all the decisions and paying for the arrangements, blindly wondering what the deceased would have wanted. I’ve seen this divide families for years after the funeral.

There’s also a financial incentive, as you lock into today’s pricing. I handled a funeral a few years ago where the person planned and paid for their funeral 30 years ago where the services and merchandise were fully guaranteed, which is what we still do today when a family decides to prepay their funeral in advance, saving their family around $9,000.

The first thing to consider in planning is whether you want a traditional burial or cremation. We go over the options, then we select the casket or urn that fits with your taste and budget. 

After that we discuss what type of service or mass, the visitation that feels right, and all the little details like flowers, food, the music, headstone, keepsake items, etc.

If someone is a veteran, I make sure to get all that information so they can have an honor guard, flag presentation and burial in the national cemetery in Seville if they choose that benefit. 

The details in preplanning are stated in a prepaid irrevocable contract, so if someone must go on Medicaid, having an irrevocable prepaid funeral contract helps one qualify for Medicaid and it is not considered an asset since you cannot take a loan against it, making those funds in the contract safe.

People often ask me if their preplanned arrangements are set in stone. They aren’t. You can change them at any time, but a good majority of families keep the arrangements as is since their loved one made their wishes known in advance.

Orlando-Donsante-Previte Funeral Home is located at 29550 Euclid Avenue in Wick-liffe. Visit OrlandoDonsanteFH.com to schedule a preplanning session with Anthony Previte or call 440-943-2466.