382,000 funerals a year happen without wishes of the deceased considered

Over 382,000 funerals take place in the UK every year where family and friends have guessed at what their loved one would have wanted, according to new research.

Life curation website Wishlockr says its research shows nearly two thirds of British adults are unsure on their family’s funeral preferences, while 65% have never discussed their own wishes with loved ones.

The research found death is a difficult conversation topic for families, with almost half (49%) of people not comfortable talking about it.

According to research shows people think about death a lot, on average, about once every 2.5 days. Figures reveal that 16-24s think about death every 1.5 days while those over 55 think about it every 3.5 days. On average, 25 is the age people say they start thinking about their own death.

Family psychologist Dr Becky Spelman said: “Benjamin Franklin is said to have stated that nothing is certain but death and taxes. Yet, while many of us prepare our tax returns, a lot of us never discuss our funeral wishes with our loved ones.

“When the time comes, the bereaved are often left having to manage their grief, while at the same time trying to put together a funeral based on guesswork. It’s important to make a plan long before getting sick or elderly, so that everyone is clear on what the preferred arrangements are.

“Sometimes people worry that it’s morbid to think about death, or to vocalise our desires on the topic, but dealing with death is something that we all have to go through; experiencing the death of a loved one is an important milestone, just as momentous as welcoming a new baby or getting married.”