1. Life
2. End of Life

Funerals

• Article - How to Write a Meaningful Eulogy

  How to Write a Meaningful Eulogy. Giving a eulogy for a parent who has recently died isn't easy, but it's something you'll never regret doing.

• Interview - Talking With Jamieson Haverkampf

  Mom Minus Dad author Jamieson Haverkampf offers advice -- and more than 500 resources -- for family caregivers to newly widowed parents.

Blog Posts

• Blog Post - My Own Last (Online) Wishes

  Facebook users can let friends and family know their final instructions via a new application called My Own Last Wishes.

• Blog Post - Parents' Driving Worries Baby Boomers, But No One Wants to Talk About It

  Survey finds widespread concern among Baby Boomers about their parents' driving -- and reluctance to talk about it

• Blog Post - Universal Design Part 2 -- Breaking the Ice

  Universal design can make seniors' homes safer, but many older people resist changes. Advice for getting seniors to agree to home renovations.

• Blog Post - I was the beneficiary of my mother's trust deposit until that was changed to her husband's name a couple of months before she died -- and I think it was done illegally.

  My mother moved from Orlando (where I live) to Miami...

• Blog Post - Help! My mom's in hospice and my sister and I are arguing about her funeral.

  Our mom has said she wants to be cremated "so you don...

• Blog Post - Should I be responsible for my father's funeral bill when he never paid child support for me?

  My parents have been divorced for more than 20 years...

Questions & Answers

• Question - Who is responsible for the final costs of my almost ex-husband?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - From what money are final expenses paid first?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can we arrange a nonreligious funeral and burial to honor our mother's wishes?

  You are free to plan whatever final services seem most fitting for a deceased parent, which can sometimes be a difficult freedom. One caveat: Consider the needs of those attending.

• Question - How do you move a body to be buried in another state?

  With some exceptions, most state laws require that a body being transported to another state must be embalmed first.

• Question - How can I pre-pay funeral costs with my mother's life insurance policy?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I go about finding a funeral director?

  It's a wise consumer move to shop in advance for funeral goods and services and for a funeral director who fits your needs. But be wary about paying in advance.

• Question - Do we tell my grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimers, about a death in the family?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What's a Totten Trust and how does it work?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I talk to my elderly father about dying?

  To get guidance about how to talk with a parent about dying, pay attention to what you learned about his or her comfort level during past conversations.

• Question - Is 1-800-cremations a legitimate organization?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - What sort of refreshments should I have at a wake?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - My father just died. What do I do first?

  There are many details to attend to in the first week or so after a death occurs -- and the busyness can sometimes feel like a blessing.

• Question - What are the legal requirements for handling a burial on my own?

  The law generally allows people to handle the burial of loved ones on their own. But it's impoetant to be aware of the legal controls on how and where it can be done.

• Question - What happens to an elderly person's credit card at death?

  When an elderly person dies, what happens to his credit card debt? Are his relatives responsible for the credit card debt upon his death?

• Question - Should I bring my four-year-old to my father's funeral?

  Is it OK to bring a child to a funeral or memorial? It depends on the child's temperament -- some kids do better at funeral services than others.

Tips & Reflections

• Tip - Final Arrangements: A Will Is Not the Way

  Why your parents' end-of-life preferences should be discussed in advance, not written into their will.

• Reflection - What I Wish I'd Known: Jamieson Haverkampf

  Jamieson Haverkampf, in Mom Minus Dad: The Essential Resource Guide for Busy Adults With a Newly Widowed Parent, equates care giving with a marathon.

• Tip - When You Want to Do It Yourself

  Resources to help you arrange for burial and other after-life tasks by yourself.

• Tip - Beware of prepayment plans

  Never pay in advance for funeral goods and services. Here's why not, and why a Totten trust is a better way to save for funeral expenses.

• Tip - Dead Box

  My grandparents kept a box with all their end-of-life...