Survey: Half of Americans Don't Know Their Parents' Final Wishes

Planning: A Time for Logistics and Legacy

Those who are already actively planning shared while they are diving into logistical details, they are also working to honor and preserve the legacy of their loved one.

• Final Logistics: 57 percent said they are working on the logistics of final plans.
• Trust and Will: 50 percent said they are looking at what’s in the will or trust.
• Finances: 33 percent are looking into the finances of a loved one.

Respondents also shared that it is important to gather and save family histories and stories (46 percent), health information (46 percent), and family recipes (23 percent).

Most Have Thought About a Final Resting Place

Nearly 80 percent of those surveyed said they have considered what they’d like done with their remains. Among the choices were:

• Scattered in a favorite spot: 20 percent
• Interred in a cemetery or mausoleum: 19 percent
• Ashes in an urn at home: 13 percent

Music Choices Show Warmth and Wit

While planning may seem serious and daunting, the survey found creative and lighthearted answers to the question of what song they’d like played at their own funeral or celebration of life.

• “Another One Bites the Dust,” by Queen
• “Coconut,” by Harry Nilsson
• “Freebird,” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
• “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” by Cyndi Lauper
• "Imagine" by John Lennon
• "My Way" by Frank Sinatra
• “Star Wars,” by John Williams
• "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
• “You Are So Beautiful,” by Joe Cocker

Planning at Younger Ages

The survey found that over 40 percent of respondents believe that their own end-of-life planning should begin before age 65.

While the average person starts planning for their parents at age 50 (when parents are about 70), sixteen percent admitted they did not know when these conversations should begin.