Prearrangements are designed to gather information that will be needed at the time of death and to make one's wishes known. A form, which contains these details, is available below. This form may be completed and left with the funeral home.
As much as no one cares to think about death, it has been our experience that it is much less stressful when families have the opportunity to discuss wishes with their loved ones and gather information at their leisure than at the time of need.
Many people are not aware of who has the right to control the funeral arrangements, it is not automatically the Healthcare Power of Attorney (POA), it is the Legal Next of Kin.
If you are not comfortable with your next of kin making your funeral arrangements the State Wisconsin Department of Health Services has a document that allows you to designate who can be in charge of your funeral; establishing who you would like to carry out your wishes and desires. This document is available below, please read the instructions and follow the prompts to complete it, including having others sign it.
We realize circumstances do change and these forms can be updated. We would be happy to make copies for you to keep and/or to leave with your loved ones. Feel free to call the funeral home to set up an appointment to meet with us to discuss your wishes, this is best done in our office but if needed we would gladly meet wherever is convenient for you.
Authorization of Final Disposition
Funeral Trust Agreements by way of pre-funded irrevocable burial insurance are a means of setting aside funds to be used solely for a person's funeral or cremation expenses. The funds are applied to the funeral home's charge for services, merchandise, as well as cash advance items (i.e. clergy honorariums, flowers, obituary expenses, grave opening and closing, musician honorariums, etc).
When faced with the necessity of nursing home placement and application for medical assistance, the Department of Human Services will advise families to set up these trusts while funds are still available.
Pre-funded burial insurance can protect assets during long-term care or illness; using an insurance mechanism can help alleviate potential financial burdens on those you love. We know not every situation is the same, we offer three different options so families can choose the one that makes the most sense for their budget; those options are: single pay, multi-pay or an annuity which can be explained to you in further detail during your appointment.
One benefit to a pre-funded burial insurance is that the state currently allows an individual to set aside funds for not only themselves but for their spouse, children (including their spouse) and their siblings (including their spouse as well) to help them in the spend down process to become eligible for medical assistance. We understand this can be a complex process and would gladly meet with you to walk you through the process and answer any questions you may have.
In the event that you already own a policy from a different company, you can opt to complete an irrevocable assignment to the funeral home, so that you might qualify for medical assistance benefits. We can assist you with the required paperwork.
If you are interested in setting money aside for your own funeral arrangements, please know that we will need: your address, date of birth, social security number and a personal check.
If you are interested in setting money aside for another person, please know that we will need: the other person’s address, date of birth, social security number, as well as the Financial Power of Attorney (POA) paperwork and a check from that person’s account.
Please call us to schedule an appointment to discuss your options and assist you through the pre-planning process.