It’s important to have your family and friends around you when you’ve lost a loved one, not only for logistical reasons but also for the emotional support that they can provide. Planning a funeral is mentally and emotionally challenging, and handling the aftermath of the death of someone close to you can be extremely traumatic. As you adjust to life without your loved one, knowing that you have a dedicated and active support network around you can be extremely comforting and helpful.

There can be so much to deal with after a death – settling their estate, following their last wishes and paying for their funeral if they didn’t have a pre-paid funeral plan in place to take care of the costs. It can feel like a huge burden, and that’s before you take into account the grief that you’re experiencing.

Even if you don’t feel that you’re ready to ask for help with anything specific just yet, just by making those around you aware that you might need their help at some point will make you feel better about asking for their help at a later time, and your family and friends will be better prepared to give you the support you need when you most need it.

Appointing A Coordinator

One way in which you can get the support you need when a loved one dies is to appoint a close friend or a family member to be your coordinator throughout the process of planning the funeral. They will then be able to help you with a number of difficult tasks which are hard to accomplish alone including:

• Accompanying you to the funeral home to make the necessary arrangements
• Helping you to plan the service
• Informing relatives and friends about the death and about the details of the funeral
• Coordinating visitors
• Managing gifts or food which well-wishers may deliver
• Engaging the support and assistance of your other friends

When you have a coordinator on board, you’re better able to focus on your own well-being while also remaining safe in the knowledge that the funeral’s social details are all being well taken care of.

Who Should Be My Coordinator?

You are the best person to know who should be your coordinator, however, in general, they will have the following qualities:

• They will be a close friend or family member
• They will live nearby
• They will know your other family members
• They will be detail-oriented and responsible
• They will feel comfortable about giving other people tasks to do

Preparing A Support Network

Preparing your family and friends to become your support network needn’t be difficult. Simply send out an email to those who are close to you making them aware of the situation and asking them to be prepared to help you if you require assistance or support at some future point. If you let them know that you may reach out in your hour of need, they will undoubtedly be more than willing to help as and when you most need them.