What to Do When an Elderly Parent Dies

One of the most difficult parts of life is dealing with grief when the people you love pass away. And when your elderly parent dies, you have to deal with the grieving process along with managing their estate and funeral plans. It helps to have a plan in mind so you can navigate the difficulties you might face as you deal with your personal grief.

Make Funeral Arrangements

The first thing you want to do whenone of your parents dies is to take care of the funeral arrangements. If your deceased parent had previously talked to you about your wishes, you should try to implement them as best as you can. Their life insurance policy should be able to help you cover the costs if they have one in place. Depending on their wishes, you will likely need help from a funeral home or another place that can manage the service and burial details.

Settle the Estate

When the funeral is taken care of, you can move on to settling all the aspects of your parent’s estate. If there is a will in place, this process should be pretty simple to accomplish. Some problems can arise when multiple people inherit the same property together. The easiest way to split an asset like a home is to sell it. Taking the time to ensure everything is properly divided will prevent problems later down the line. If there is not a will available, you will need to go through the probate process to distribute the estate.

Take Care of Yourself

Many people get so caught up in taking care of the details after their parents die, that they forget to take care of their own needs. It is essential that you take care of yourself all throughout this process. Paying attention to how you feel and giving yourself breaks as needed will help you to manage your grief appropriately. You may need someone to talk to, and that is totally fine. Just make sure you choose a person you trust to hold your feelings and offer you the support you need.

As you start working to deal with the aftermath of your parent’s death, make sure that you give yourself the time and rest you need. It is important to take care of the legal processes, but not more important than your health and wellbeing. Enlist the help of others so you don’t have to manage all the challenges on your own.

Check out this article on how to help your parents with estate planning!