Planning Ahead

A woman in a suit and necklace is smiling for the camera.

Meet with Amber Ditomasso, Our Planning Specialist

"With care and comfort, I will guide you through each step of the process. I truly feel honored to help families plan for the future."

Want one-on-one assistance? Feel free to give us a call.

Advance Planning...a Celebration of Life

Pre-planning is determining the details of your funeral and cemetery services in advance. To some, this may sound like a difficult conversation. But putting a plan in place is actually a smart and caring thing to do. With a plan, you’ll reduce stress for grieving loved ones—and simply let them honor and celebrate your life, knowing things are happening just as you wanted. All your wishes. All with ease.


Lifes moments memories of home, family and friends. Those special moments we recapture when time seems to stand still and we find ourselves considering just how blessed we are. 

What is a Pre-arrangement?

Pre-arrangement is the act of planning a funeral service prior to the time it is needed. Today, more people are recognizing that planning ahead provides peace of mind and demonstrates love and consideration for their families.

Benefits of Pre-Planning with Miles: 

  • Amber Ditomasso, our Director of Advance Planning and Community Outreach, will assist you personally with each step of the process
  • We provide a stress free environment where all of your wishes are taken into consideration ahead of time
  • Miles has a first-class culture where we believe in the highest standards of professionalism and care for our families

Planning ahead is a thoughtful decision that helps reduce the stress of indecision and uncertainty when a death occurs. It is also a natural part of estate planning decisions, such as creating wills, purchasing life insurance and creating trusts. Many people plan ahead to make their wishes known to their families and to reduce the burden on them; some people plan ahead because there's no one else available to make responsible decisions. The sense of uncertainty is greatly reduced when arrangements are made early. 

Advance Planning also gives you the opportunity for the design of a personal and customized service. A properly planned funeral can be a celebration of life, a reflection of the individual. 

A funeral service gives family and friends the opportunity to gather, reflect and publicly celebrate the life of a loved one. In addition, it provides strength and support from each other in their time of grief. When someone dies, their family is sometimes surprised and comforted by the number of people who attend a funeral. It is an inspiration to see at the end of someone's life the countless number of lives they have touched. That is why we believe with proper funeral planning, a funeral can be a time to grieve, to share and to remember. 

Financial Planning Pre-funding:
During a pre-arrangement, there is time to review cost options, establish an irrevocable trust (for Medicaid and MassHealth compliance) should you desire, and the option of financially securing your arrangements. Funding a pre-arranged funeral service is a choice many people make to ease a potential future burden on family members. This allows you to arrange the funeral service you want based on today's prices and be assured funds will be available when needed.

Advance Planning can be discussed at any age and plans can be easily amended as your preferences or circumstances change. The staff at Miles can answer your questions, provide suggestions and explain all of your concerns. 

Author Alan Lakein is quoted as saying that Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. We encourage you to begin conversations with your family and to call us at 1-800-983-4434 with your questions. The staff at Miles Funeral Home will guide you in a most helpful way. 

Why Should I Plan Ahead?

Not everyone likes to plan ahead, but pre-planning your funeral arrangements not only gives you peace of mind about your final wishes being honored, but alleviates some of the stress and burden your loved ones are going through as they experience the grief associated with the loss.


The staff of Miles Funeral Home is happy to assist you with your funeral pre-needs by helping you make decisions about your funeral service in advance and guide you in helping eliminate some of the unnecessary stress brought on by a loved one’s death.

section image

Secure Online Preplanning Form

START PLANNING
section image

Secure Online Preplanning Form

START PLANNING

Benefits of Preplanning

hand holding a list svg

Planning Ahead Lets Your Wishes Be Known

The death of a loved one often brings about unwarranted stress and turmoil among families. One family member wants one thing, while another family member wants something different. By planning ahead, you help prevent those disagreements by letting your family know what your wishes are and how you want your funeral service to be carried out and your business handled.

black outline of a dove svg

Planning Ahead Offers Peace of Mind

Our staff guarantees we will carry out the arrangements you want, just as you directed. Once the plans have been arranged, you and your family can rest easy knowing at the time of death, those uncomfortable decisions have been made. In a time when a family should be able to easily grieve, preplanning allows for that to happen.

black outline of a piggy bank and a coin svg

Planning Ahead Offers Flexible Funding Options

When you preplan your funeral arrangements, there are more options when it comes to funding the funeral. A preneed insurance policy, life insurance policy or other payment options can all be arranged before the time of death. At the time of death, services must be paid in full, so having options ahead of time can also reduce other stress related to losing someone.

black outline of a heart svg

Planning Ahead Relieves The Burden From Family

Following the death of a loved one, there are more than 150 decisions that have to be made within the first day or two following the death. Those stressful decisions on top of the stress of grieving a loss can be eliminated by arranging your final wishes ahead of time.


If those decisions are made, your loved one’s aren’t left wondering what you would have wanted and how they should proceed with funeral plans. With those decisions out of the way, your loved one can begin the healing process sooner.

Common Questions About Preplanning

Click on the questions below to reveal each respective answer.

  • What steps are involved in planning a funeral?

    The first step would be to write down your wishes. Indicate if you would prefer burial or cremation. Write down your ideas for the service you would like, cemetery choice, etc. If you've made those choices, or even if you're unsure, schedule a time to meet with one of our funeral directors who can explain the different service options, merchandise choices, as well as the different ways to pay for the funeral.

  • What information do I need to prearrange a funeral?

    You'll need basic information about yourself or the person you are planning for, such as date of birth, marital status, parent's full names, etc. Besides the biological information, you'll need to choose burial or cremation, what type of service you'd like, what cemetery to use, etc. Our caring staff will help you with this process.

  • Do I have to pay in advance?

    Preplanning is merely making your wishes known; however, most families who do this choose to pre-fund their funeral as well. Doing so will relieve the financial burden from your family and offer peace of mind to you.

  • Can I transfer my plans to or from another funeral home?

    If you have plans at another funeral home and would like to move them here, we will help you do that. If you move from the area and would like to transfer your arrangements to another funeral home, we will assist you with that as well.