End of life planning: Cremation vs. burial, choosing a nursing home, and more

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And you thought the birds and the bees were a tough topic.

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End-of-life planning can make other difficult discussions—such as mapping out money and spending with your partner—seem like a walk in the park, especially if you’re trying to help your parents or older family members detail their last wishes.

No one wants to think about death. But it’s part of life, and having these discussions is good and necessary. It’s not easy to discuss end-of-life decisions with your partner and parents, so it may take several attempts to get them to open up.

A good way to start is to focus on how you want to respect their wishes. Communication and documentation are the surest ways to make those wishes happen. And don’t neglect your own planning.

Estate planning is part of overall retirement planning, and that includes writing a last will and testament. A will should include:

Being an executor or a guardian is a serious undertaking, so before you assign roles, ask the person or people if they are willing to take on these responsibilities.

As you gather your property list, check the beneficiaries on accounts such as 401(k) plans, checking, and savings accounts. Anyone named as a beneficiary on property that has a “pay-on-death” benefit will automatically receive those assets and that document will supersede whoever is named on the will.

Wills should be signed by witnesses and notarized. Check the laws in your individual state to find out what other steps you may need to take.

In addition to writing a will, there are other estate planning documents that are designed to protect you.

There are several types of powers of attorney. A general power of attorney gives the person you name, called an agent, the power to make decisions on your behalf, including to manage your financial affairs. Some people choose to have a springing power of attorney that goes into effect only if you lose the capacity to make decisions.

Health care directives, also known as advanced care planning or advanced directives, spell out the type of health care decisions you want made for you if you become incapacitated. Health care directives are wide-ranging documents. An advance directive includes all legal orders regarding your wishes for future medical care. These directives can include information such as:

If given the choice, most of us would likely prefer to remain independent until the end. But not everyone will be so lucky. It’s such an emotionally charged—at times gut-wrenching—topic that many choose to avoid it until it becomes unavoidable.

That’s why it’s so important to have the talk. Or at least, become educated on the topic so you know your options.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published an official government booklet as a guide for people exploring nursing homes or other long-term services. Some of the information covered includes how to find a nursing home, how to pay for care, residents’ rights, and alternatives to nursing home care.

The guide also includes an eight-page checklist of questions to ask a facility, including:

Visit facilities to see how well the nursing home is cared for, whether there are strong smells (pleasant or unpleasant), how the staff interacts with residents, and other quality-of-life aspects. Make a few visits at different times of day or days of the week, too.

Consider what amenities are important to you, as nursing homes can offer a range of services. Do you want a home that offers activities, physical therapy, or a religious connection? Some larger facilities include a range of living situations—everything from independent living to assisted living to hospice care.

Your final wishes should also include how to care for your body after death, with the two options being cremation versus burial. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), cremation surpassed burial in 2015 and has grown in proportion every year since. The NFDA estimates about 70% of Americans will choose cremation by 2030.

In a cremation, the body is placed in a cremation container and the remains are incinerated. The cremains can be put in an urn, divided up among family members, interred in a memorial site, or dispersed.

In a burial, the body is embalmed or is otherwise prepared for burial, usually in a metal casket. Burials can be in the ground or a vault.

Cremations cost less than traditional burials. (Much of the increased cost for a traditional burial is related to the metal casket and vault.) The NFDA noted the national average cost for cremation and a funeral in 2021 was $6,970, compared to $9,420 for a viewing and traditional burial in a vault.

The NFDA also sees rising interest in “green burials,” which have a minimal environmental impact versus traditional burial. Green burials do not use chemical embalming, and caskets or other containers are biodegradable.

Some people have specific wishes for funeral and memorial services. For example, you or a loved one might wish to conduct the service at a certain place, with special songs or other remembrances. If that’s the case, be sure those wishes are made known ahead of time. People often include these requests in their wills, but often the services are over by the time a will is read.

Also, make sure your wishes are feasible and legal. For example, there are specific laws about the scattering of ashes and commingling of cremains that might make your wishes impossible for your executor to carry out.

Talking about dying and death isn’t pleasant, but it’s something we’ll all have to confront. Making plans now that detail how you want to be taken care of in your final years—and beyond—will make things easier for you and for your family when that time comes.