5 Critical Questions - Helping Your Loved Ones Heal

Five Critical Questions Your Loved Ones Want You to Answer

How can we help those who have lost loved ones heal? This heart-wrenching question has very

personalized answers.  Everyone is different, and what will be comforting and healing to one family may

not provide the same to another.


In our many years of caring for families who have lost loved ones, we have found that most survivors find

great comfort when their loved ones have answered five critical questions. Answering these questions

facilitates healing by allowing the family to honor their loved one’s final wishes and begin their own grief

journey.

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Question 1 - Do you prefer body burial, cremation or donation?

Most people feel strongly about what is to happen to their bodies after death. It is very helpful for

survivors to know exactly what their loved one wanted. Additionally, all three options require different

planning.

Question 2 – Where will your body be buried or donated? Or where will your cremated remains go?

There are many ways to answer this question, and it is a very personal choice influenced by faith, life

experiences, and more.  Here are some points to consider:



  • If you choose whole body burial, do you have a cemetery preference? Do you prefer earth burial or entombment in a mausoleum? Have you envisioned something specific for what your marker or monument would be like?


  • If you choose to be cremated, will your remains stay whole or be divided? Do you prefer to be scattered either on land or in the water, interred in a cemetery, or reposed in an urn and taken home?


  • If you choose to donate, which anatomical program do you prefer?

Question 3 -Do you want a public viewing?

Having a public viewing is often seen as an important step in the grieving process, allowing others to

process the reality of the death and say their final goodbyes. If you do not prefer a public viewing,

consider Question 4.

Question 4 - Will you allow your family to say goodbye to you face-to-face?

While you may not want a public viewing, allowing close family members to see you one last time and

say goodbye can be deeply healing. Before you deny your family this farewell, ask yourself exactly when

and how you will die. If you don’t know—and of course you don’t—consider that the circumstances of

your death could be such that your survivors will need to say goodbye. Will you give them permission?

Question 5 - What kind of service or celebration do you want?

This question has a plethora of options that can be personalized specifically to your desires. Choosing

your own unique details not only helps remove the future burden on loved ones, but it can also create a

truly meaningful experience as they remember, honor, and celebrate your life. Our caring team is

honored to walk with people as they navigate the multitude of choices.