Something no one ever wants to rely on is hospice care. This is a specialized end of life service that’s aimed at making a person comfortable in their final weeks, months or years. There’s also a quality of life component for physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs.
Everyone has their own personal experience during hospice care. It is a unique circumstance where some people find themselves asking the question, is it a good idea to plan funeral services?
While this is a question each person has to answer themselves, in actuality, the period of hospice care could be the ideal time to make funeral arrangements.
Why Some People Are Hesitant to Make Funeral Arrangements From Hospice Care
To many, making funeral arrangements sends the message that you’ve given up. That you’re basically ready to die. While that couldn’t be further from the truth for many people, what they are doing is living in reality. They are in hospice care because they’re battling an illness that is deemed terminal and want to take initiative for what will happen moving forward.
There’s no bad luck or mojo that comes with making preparations for the future while you can, but regardless it causes hesitation in some people.
The Hospice Healthcare Team is There to Help
Something to consider is that the healthcare team at the hospice facility can provide multi-faceted support. They can:
- Aid in providing spiritual guidance.
- Explain benefits that help pay for funeral services.
- Work with you to get your end of life wishes documented.
The hospice team is an invaluable resource in a time when you can use all the help you can get.
Neutral Party For Funeral Decisions
Simply having a neutral party to talk to about your thoughts and feelings regarding funeral services can be highly beneficial. Some folks can be very opinionated about funeral services for other people even though it’s a highly personal choice. It can be hard to vocalize what you want if you know it’s something family members aren’t going to agree with.
Many people have felt pressured to simply go with what’s conventional in order to appease others in their inner circle. Instead of addressing family member objections, others don’t make their wishes known and instead just resign to the fact that loved ones will handle the services after their death.
Hospice care consultants aren’t going to judge your choices or try to sway a patient toward one form of disposition or another. They are going to listen to the patient and provide them with information about the options they are interested in. It’s a judgement-free zone that allows a person to make the disposition decisions they truly want to make.
There’s Support For the Family
Hospice care isn’t just for patients. Many centers offer resources and support for family members that are also impacted by the situation.
As already mentioned, during hospice care a patient may be taking steps like writing a last will and testament, making funeral arrangements and getting last rites. Witnessing these things can be upsetting for some loved ones for a variety of reasons. The support that’s provided by a hospice care team can help make the circumstances easier to deal with all around. And in getting that support, family members can in turn provide better support for the patient.
If you’re interested in arranging direct cremation services while in hospice care, call or text Direct Cremate. We can help you remotely from any location.