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| What do we do immediately
following the death of our loved one? |
If
the death occurred at home without medical assistance, i.e.
Hospice, Home Health or a Physician, then call your funeral
director and explain the circumstance. They can help determine
who else should be notified. Usually the death occurs in a
medical facility or under medical care. In those instances
the people in charge will call your funeral director for you.
The funeral director will help guide you through this difficult
time. Your funeral director is available 24 hours a day and
should be notified when the death occurs regardless of the
time of day or night. |
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| What purpose does a funeral
serve? |
| It is the customary way to recognize death and
its finality. Funerals are recognized rituals for the living
to show respect for the dead and to help survivors begin the
grief process. |
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| Why have a public viewing? |
| Viewing is part of many cultural and ethnic
traditions. Many grief specialists believe that viewing aids
the grief process by helping the bereaved recognize the reality
of death. Viewing is encouraged for children, as long as the
process is explained and the activity voluntary. |
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| How soon do we have to
have the funeral? |
| Usually the funeral is held 3 to 4 days following
the death. Factors to consider when deciding on the time of
the service are, the distance that family members have to travel
to attend the funeral, are there any holidays that would interfere
with the burial, what is the schedule of the person that will
officiate at the funeral. Yes, you can wait 7 to 10 days if
you desire, however, families have expressed to us that the
waiting can be very difficult. |
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| Does a dead body have to
be embalmed, according to law? |
| No. Most states, however, require embalming
when death was caused by a reportable contagious disease or
when remains are to be transported from one state to another
by common carrier or if final disposition is not to be made
within a prescribed number of hours. |
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| What do funeral directors
do? |
| Funeral directors are caregivers and administrators.
They make the arrangements for transportation of the body,
complete all necessary paperwork, and implement the choices
made by the family regarding the funeral and final disposition
of the body.
Funeral directors are listeners, advisors and supporters.
They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with
death. Funeral directors are trained to answer questions about
grief, recognize when a person is having difficulty coping,
and recommend sources of professional help. Funeral directors
also link survivors with support groups at the funeral home
or in the community.
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| Who does the obituary?
What newspapers do we put the obituary in? |
| Our arranging funeral director will gather
the information for the obituary at the time we meet with
you. We will then send that information to all local and any
distant newspapers that you direct. Many newspapers will not
accept obituaries directly from families. |
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| Where do we get the Death
Certificates? How many will we need? |
| The state registrar in the county where
the death occurred issues certified copies. We will obtain
the information needed for the death certificate when you
come for the arrangement conference. The Certified Copy of
the death certificate will be needed for any claims for death
benefits or to change any titles (real estate, vehicles, investments,
etc.). We can help you get the number of death certificates
that you feel you will need. |
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| What do I need to bring
to the funeral home for the arrangement conference? |
| During the arrangement conference vital
statistics and obituary information will be obtained so you
would need to bring that type of information (social security
number, father's name, mother's maiden name, years of formal
education, birth date and place, etc.). You may bring the
clothing at this time if the clothing is ready. Clothing usually
consists of all the normal clothing that your loved one wore
including underclothing. |
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| What can I do to personalize
the service? |
| We have many items available to help you
personalize the service. One item is a large selection of
music as well as the equipment to play cassettes or CDs. Another
is a magnetic board on which you may place a collage of pictures
to be displayed at the visitation and service. We also have
the ability to put photos that you bring to us on videotape
that can be played at the service. This can be kept after
the service as a video scrapbook of your loved one. We have
tables and equipment to display personal effects of your loved
one at the visitation and service. That may be as simple as
samples of handwork or a saddle and bridle; maybe some bales
of hay and an irrigation shovel. We can assist you with many
different options. |
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| Can we have a viewing if
what we want is cremation? |
| Cremation is a means of disposition. You
may have a viewing prior to cremation and you may even have
the body present for the funeral ceremony with cremation to
follow. If you have a public viewing the body would have to
be embalmed. |
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| Is cremation a substitute
for a funeral? |
| No, cremation is an alternative to earth
burial or entombment for the body's final disposition and
often follows a traditional funeral service. In fact, according
to FTC figures for 1987, direct cremation occurred in only
3% of deaths. |
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| Isn't cremation cheaper
than burial? |
| It can be, but depending on the choices
you make it can be similar in cost to an immediate burial
service. As a general rule the crematory charge for the cremation
process is usually less than a cemetery space. However something
has to be done with the ashes after cremation (such as scattering,
burial, or keeping the ashes, or some combination there of).
This choice may or may not increase the expense of the cremation.
A couple of words about cremation: cremation is irreversible
so every effort should be made to accommodate everyone's needs
prior to the cremation process, i.e. a time for viewing the
body and having the body present at the service; and if you
are considering scattering the ashes, that too is an irreversible
act. You may want to consider your needs and those of others
to have a place to remember your loved one on Memorial Day
or other anniversaries, or you may wish to keep a small keepsake
amount of ashes for this purpose also.
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| How much does a funeral
cost? |
| In 1998 the charge for an adult, full-service
funeral, was $5,020. This includes a professional service
charge, transfer-of remains, embalming, other preparation,
use of viewing facilities, use of facilities for ceremony,
hearse, limousine, and casket. The casket included in this
price was an 18-gauge steel casket with velvet interior which
may or may not be the most common casket chosen. Vault, cemetery,
and monument charges are additional. (Source: 1999 NFDA Survey
of Funeral Home Operations). |
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| Has this cost increased
significantly? |
| Funeral costs have increased no faster than
the consumer price index for other consumer items. The following
figures show increases over the last 15 years for an adult,
full-service funeral from NFDA surveys from 1991 to the present |
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| Why are funerals so expensive? |
| When compared to other major life cycle
events, like births and weddings, funerals are not expensive.
A wedding costs at least three times as much; but because
it is a happy event, wedding costs are rarely criticized.
A funeral home is a 24-hour, labor-intensive business, with
extensive facilities (viewing rooms, chapels, limousines,
hearses, etc.), these expenses must be factored into the cost
of a funeral.
Moreover, the cost of a funeral includes not only merchandise,
like caskets, but the services of a funeral director in making
arrangements; filing appropriate forms; dealing with doctors,
ministers, florists, newspapers and others; and seeing to
all the necessary details.
Contrary to popular belief, funeral homes are largely family-owned
with a modest profit margin. The statistics below may be helpful
in assessing the true economic picture of a funeral home:
Family-owned 85%
Firm in business for 63 years
Average calls/year1 67
BEFORE tax profit 11.3%
(Source: 1995 NFDA Survey of Funeral Home Operations)
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| What recourse does a consumer
have for poor service or overcharging? |
| Funeral service is regulated by the FTC
and state licensing boards. In most cases, the consumer should
discuss problems with the funeral director first. If the dispute
cannot be solved by talking with the funeral director, the
consumer may wish to contact the Funeral Service Consumer
Assistance Program. FSCAP provides information, mediates disputes,
provides arbitration, and maintains a consumer guarantee fund
for reimbursement of services rendered. |
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| If a loved one dies out
of state, can the local Funeral Home still help? |
| Yes, they can assist you with out-of-state
arrangements, either to transfer the remains to another state
or from another state. |
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| What does Social Security
pay towards funeral expenses? |
| Social Security will pay a lump sum death
benefit to a surviving spouse or dependent children. That
amount is usually $255.00 |
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