You may have the responsibility to plan the final arrangements for another person if they are unable to do it for themselves.
The first fact that you will need to establish is whether you have the legal right to do so. If the person is your spouse, unmarried parent or under-age or unmarried child you most likely do have the right, although it may be held in common with others such as your brothers and sisters in the case of a parent or your spouse in the case of a child. If the person is a more distant relation or is not related to you, then you must establish the legal right to make arrangements through a power of attorney, guardianship or other legal document. You may wish to discuss this with an attorney.
The next step is to determine what arrangements are appropriate. The first source of information should be the person you are planning for, if they are able to provide it. Next, contact the cemetery and funeral home that they or their family has used before for information about past family practice. They will provide you with advice about options.
After that, the steps are very much like planning for yourself However, it is important to document all the information you gather and the decisions you make, as reconstructing your work after the death has occurred may be difficult.
The final step, of course, is to give a copy of the plan to the chosen cemetery and funeral home. They then become your agents in assuring that the plan is carried out when it becomes appropriate.
