Having a funeral plan means living with the certainty that, when you go, your wishes will be respected.
Because our life is only lent to us and one day we must give it back, it is important to think about our own departure. Do we want to be cremated or buried? Would we like a secular or a religious service, or would simply leaving in silence be enough?
A funeral plan ensures that each person’s wishes are respected and also spares their loved ones choices that can prove difficult when someone dear to them dies. What is more, it relieves the family of the financial burden of the funeral.
With this in mind, Azur Prévoyance Funéraire offers a wide range of services, all adapted to the wishes, culture or religion of its clients. As for the budget, it can be adjusted during a personal meeting with advisers who provide guidance and support throughout the planning process.
Sophie Bédoïan, a senior executive at Pompes Funèbres Générales Genève SA, which has been arranging funeral pre-planning contracts since 1982, sheds light on the subject and explains the benefits of such a decision.
Why did you choose to work in this sector?
It runs in the family. My father joined the company as a funeral assistant in 1987 and is now Managing Director. Ever since I was a little girl, I have known Pompes Funèbres Générales and the Carouge agency. My mother joined him in 2001 as Administrative Director. As for me, I started in this line of work in 2006, after studying hotel and restaurant management, which gave me great rigour and a sense of impeccable customer service. But something was missing. Because our profession is so human and so real, it is a vocation before it is a job. I now feel that I am truly useful.
What does a funeral pre-planning contract include?
First of all, every funeral plan is unique. It covers everything from the choice of coffin to writing the death notice in advance, as well as the choice of venue for the ceremony, the type of burial and even the choice of flowers. We take the time to go through our clients’ wishes together, reassure them about any concerns they may have and draw up a budget that matches their means. It is important to take time to think, because it is a personal step that can sometimes be difficult to take.
Why is this practice common today?
Setting up a funeral plan reassures the person concerned, because they know they will be taken care of quickly and that everything will go according to their wishes. It is an entirely personal step, but also an act of love towards one’s family.
Today, family members often live in the four corners of the world. For children, it is reassuring to know that their parents have planned everything and that, in the time it takes them to return from abroad, the arrangements are already under way. What is more, there can be serious conflicts within families. A funeral plan has the advantage of putting minds at rest and getting everyone to agree.
We also notice that more and more people live alone. Here too, it is very reassuring to know that everything is well organised and that your wishes will be respected. Finally, the financial aspect matters too. Everyone who comes to see us feels relieved once the contract has been signed, because when the time comes they will not leave this financial burden to their family.
When should you consider taking this step?
There is no ideal age, and today we see people starting to think about it earlier and earlier. However, we sometimes come across very sad situations, for instance when people have no family, live alone or in a nursing home (EMS) and have left no instructions.
Funeral directors are not in a position to decide whether to proceed with a cremation or a burial. The person’s wishes therefore cannot necessarily be respected, and I believe
there is nothing worse.
What is more, since bank accounts are frozen at the time of death, who is to pay for the funeral if nothing has been arranged in advance? We regret to see that some of the deceased remain
with us or at the mortuary for many days before anyone takes a decision. So for a person living alone, setting up a funeral plan seems essential.
How important is the support
of funeral planning advisers?
There are in fact two important things: turning to funeral professionals, so that everything recorded in the contract can actually be carried out at the time of death, and also turning to a funeral planning company that has been around for a long time and is well established.
We are seeing a growing number of websites that give information and advice on what to do when the time comes and offer to record your wishes. But most of them are not
funeral professionals. Only an independent company specialising in this field, such as Azur Prévoyance Funéraire, can guarantee that its clients’ wishes will be respected and that the funds paid in are held with the utmost security.
More information:
www.azur-prevoyance.ch
Tel. 022 342 66 22