As healthcare costs continue to rise, it becomes more important to plan for our future medical needs. At Woodlawn Cemetery, we encourage our New York neighbors to plan for the years to come, especially when it comes to their healthcare. Here are some helpful tips on how to plan ahead for future healthcare needs.

Talk with your loved ones about the future.

Discussing your values and needs with your partner or family members helps ensure you’re all on the same page as far as what you’d like to see happen in the event of a medical emergency. Invite those who are closest to you to ask clarifying questions about the future and offer up their own opinions if you value their input.

Calculate the costs of future medical care.

If you’re able to hire professional help, a financial advisor can be a beneficial person to have on your team. They can analyze your financial assets and costs to determine how much money you’ll need in the future to maintain your quality of life. A helpful tool is AARP’s online cost calculator that lets you determine what you’re likely to pay for medical care depending on the state you live in. This information lets you know if you need to cut costs or reassess your living situation.

Create a living will.

A living will outlines medical treatments in the case of end-of-life care. You may already have a living will in place. It’s good to keep in mind that you can change and edit this document as your preferences shift. You may think you’re too young to write up a living will, but it’s recommended that all adults ages 18 to 78 should have one they revisit from time to time. To streamline the creation of a living will, we offer a free living will kit on our website.

Preplan your funeral.

A great way to address your future healthcare needs is to preplan your funeral. Planning your funeral ahead of time can lock in today’s prices for services and remove the burden of decision-making from your family’s shoulders. Woodlawn offers monthly preplanning tours so our families can learn more about the process and ask any questions they may have.

Contact our knowledgeable staff members to find out more about preplanning or planning your funeral with us. We can set up a time for you to stop by our facility to speak with one of our qualified planning professionals. We welcome families from the Bronx and the surrounding areas.