Greenhaven funerals is proud to announce that Iain McKinnon has joined our team as a Prepaid Funeral Consultant. As an experienced end of life consultant, coach and funeral advocate as well as a Greenhaven Funeral Arranger, Iain is well placed to offer customised information and advice to our client families when they are looking to pre-arrange or prepay and organise a funeral for themselves, a family member or friend. Iain will be available to meet with families on Fridays from 10am until 4pm throughout May at our office located at 1/491-493 main Street, Mordialloc.
Iain has shared some of his thoughts below on pre-arranging and pre-planning funerals…
Pre-planning for our end-of-life is not just critical for those of us who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. Sudden and unexpected death is not uncommon, and when it happens, no-one is prepared for it.
Many of us think that having a will and/or an enduring power of attorney is enough. Not true! We also need to make our choices clear about what medical treatments we wish to have or not to have if we are no longer able to speak for ourselves. So, an advance care plan and a medical treatment decision maker appointment are also critical.
All good, but the missing link is often about our wishes for what happens to us after death. Burial? Cremation? Memorial service? Living funeral? Environmentally conscious funeral? There are so many options and new technologies for after-life care options emerge regularly.
When we die, whether anticipated or not, the reality is that the shock and grief and sadness can be overwhelming and debilitating for our loved ones. It is widely agreed that one of the greatest gifts we can leave our loved ones is to plan for our own after death or post-mortem care. It allows our loved ones to engage with their grief in the moment and avoid having to make challenging and stressful decisions about our funeral, and honouring our legacy in a way that aligns with our wishes. It can take weeks to work out the way forward or it can be as straightforward as making one phone call and your funeral plan is enacted.
A bonus is that once your plan has been developed, you can pay for it in advance. No issues for your loved ones trying to find money to pay for things, and you pay at today’s prices. End-of-life and funeral costs go up like everything else, but once paid, most of the funeral costs are locked in. Any money pre-paid is kept in a trust or in bank funeral bonds, so no funeral director benefits from you pre-paying. Once you die, the funds are then released, and your plan is enacted.
Our pre-planning and pre-paid funeral consultant Iain McKinnon will attend our Mordialloc Office each Friday during May from 10am until 4 pm. Feel free to drop in or call us on 9569 0534 to make an appointment for an obligation free chat and Iain will answer your questions and if required, organise a funeral plan that works for you and your family, and importantly, for your budget.
