cremation services in Thornton, CO
Paperwork to Gather Before Your Parents Pass

As we get older, our roles with our parents often change. We start out with them taking care of us as we grow up and become adults. Then, as time goes on and we ourselves become older, we being to take on the parental role making sure our parents are safe and looked out after. One element that is sometimes difficult to face is that they will not be with us forever. While they are, providers of cremation services in Thornton, CO. suggest talking with them about their last wishes as well as gathering up any important documents.

If you aren’t sure exactly what documents you should talk to your parents about, we have compiled a small list of some of the most important. Of course, every family and individual will have different circumstances, but this should give you a good starting point.

Medical Documents

These documents include papers that will help your loved ones should you need to be in the hospital or have medical care. They include:

  • An Advance Health Care Directive – This document is a combination of their Living Will and the naming of a Health Care Proxy
  • Do Not Resuscitate Orders (DNR) – If it is their wish that doctors do not try and resuscitate them, they will need to fill out this DNR order.
  • HIPAA Authorization – This is to allow their private health information to be released to the parties they name.

Financial Documents

It is important to make sure if your parents become unable to care for themselves you have certain documents allowing you control over their finances. Also, you will need to make sure to talk with them and gather things such as:

  • A Financial Power of Attorney (POA) – This document is imperative in assigning someone to handle their finances if they are unable to do so
  • Tax Returns – Make sure they have these available for you. No more than the past six years should be needed.
  • Vehicle Titles – Gather any and all vehicle titles they may have.
  • Stock Certificates – Gather any documents related to stocks they own or savings bonds
  • Any Deeds – Deeds such as housing, cemetery, or land
  • Loans and Payments – Documents showing any loans they have as well as payments made
  • 401(k) – Papers relating to their 401(k) and retirement accounts

Personal Documentscremation services in Thornton, CO

While this isn’t a complete list and your parents may have more or less depending on their life circumstances, here are some personal documents to keep in mind:

  • Marriage LicenseGather documents showing they have been married and/or divorced
  • List of Passwords – Compile a list of passwords for accounts as well as login codes for items such as their computer and phone
  • Digital Estate Plan – This document outlines how they would like your social media accounts to be handled
  • Last Will and Testament – This will appoint those who will inherit their assets if no beneficiary is named on an account
  • Letter of Instruction – This document instructs how they would like their last wishes to be carried out such as where they would like to be buried.

Providers of cremation services in Thornton, CO. understand it can be a difficult conversation when it comes to talking with your parents about their passing. However, making sure all documents and paperwork are in order before they pass will be so beneficial to you and them in the long run.

cremation services in Thornton, CO
Top Reasons People Put Off Preplanning Cremation Services

Preplanning your final arrangements is something that most all people admit is very important. However, many of these same people will never actually make their arrangements. This could be for a myriad of reasons. Today we are going to look at some of the top reasons providers of cremation services in Thornton, CO. hear why people put off this important planning.

I’m Too Busy

Look, we get it. In this day and age, we are all running around multitasking from one project and chore to the next. Between work, school, kids, bills, and more it is easy to put things off. The thing is though, we seem to have time for things we put a value on. For example, even though you may be busy when your child has an activity such as a recital, you make the time to attend. The same s true with your preplanning needs. You need to realize the value and then you will be much easier to find the time.

I’m Too Young

Many people think that preplanning final arrangements are something you do later in life when you are older. However, nothing in this world is guaranteed and even if you are young and healthy, nobody can ever guarantee how much time you have in this world. Even if you don’t make the actual final arrangements, you can still begin thinking and planning for them by starting a savings account or at least making your last wishes known in writing.

I Don’t Want to Think About My Death

This is probably the most common reason people put off preplanning their final arrangements. Thinking about one’s own mortality and facing death can be a very uncomfortable issue for many people. However, once they begin preplanning, many realize that the comfort it brings to them knowing their last wishes are taken care of and the stress will be off of their family, outweighs this uncomfortable feeling.

Why You Should Preplancremation services in Thornton, CO

Even though these are all valid reasons, they are not reason enough to ignore preplanning your arrangements. Not only does preplanning ensure your last wishes are made known and followed, but it eases the stress and burden off of your family at the time of your passing.

When you pass, your loved ones will be experiencing feelings of pain, loss, sorry, and grief. They will have a lot to handle such as bank accounts, loans, credit cards, and more. Help ease their burden by taking away the stress of making your final arrangements.

Final Thoughts

There are a ton of reasons people may put off making their final arrangements for cremation services in Thornton, CO. However, we hope in this article we have been able to break through some of these most common reasons to help give you motivation and inspiration to put them aside and final start the pre-planning process. When you are ready, please know that we are here and happy to help guide you to ensure everything gets addressed and nothing gets overlooked.

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