Losing a loved one is difficult enough without all of the decision making regarding funeral services you will have to make. Hopefully, these seven tips can make selecting the right funeral home a little easier.
Shop Around
Funeral homes can provide you information on the phone for your convenience. Some offer package deals if you choose specific options. It isn't required by law for a written list to be provided by mail, but many homes will send the information to you in advance if you are shopping for prices ahead of the time needed for service. If you desire a package deal, the home must also provide you with the information for services offered individually.
Courteous Approach
Are the employees you speak with about your plans courteous? Do they fully explain the information about the procedures involved in the service you desire? If the answers to these important questions are yes, you are probably heading in the right direction.
The Home's Reputation
A funeral home must provide services to its customers using dependable and reliable staff members. The trustworthiness and integrity are essential since you are entrusting your loved one in the home's hands. Whether you have a regular service or cremation, you want to know your wishes have been fully carried out to the 'tee.'
Local Owned Funeral Homes
You will want to search for a home that offers a less standardized business with its practices and procedures. National firms tend to look out for its investors, not the families of the community. It is important to know you are dealing with neighbors and friends in the area where you live. These people are on the staff and understand as well as share many of the same beliefs as you and your family have. It is important to ask if the home is locally owned.
The Home's Location
You want to choose a funeral home close to where the deceased's friends can visit one last time. You probably won't be able to choose a perfect location for every family member and friend. However, you should think about where everyone is traveling from as you make your decision.
Doesn't Push Embalming
If the home tries to state your loved one needs to be embalmed, know that it is not true unless the person had a communicable disease or is being shipped across state lines. The fluid would cost approximately $3 to $8 a pint, but some funeral homes can charge the customer anywhere from $175 to $695 for the service. Just be sure, legally, your loved one needs to be embalmed.
The Casket Choice
Many people don't realize you can purchase a casket from Wal-Mart, Costco, or local retailers. The funeral home has to use the casket of your choosing. You do not have to purchase the casket from the funeral home if you can find a better deal somewhere else.
As you are making your final choices, make sure you consider your loved one's final wish as well. All of these details are important, but they matter very little if your loved one has a specific funeral home he/she wanted his/her service to take place at. For more information, contact professionals like Thomas Funeral Chapels Inc.
Share2 August 2016
A couple of weeks ago, one of my dear family friend’s suffered the loss of her husband. After a brief illness, he passed away at a local hospital. Immediately after his passing, she started planning the funeral arrangements. She didn’t want his funeral to be a sad occasion. Instead, she wanted the service to celebrate his amazing life. She worked tirelessly with the professional staff at a local funeral home in order to plan the order and type of service for the funeral. On this blog, you will discover tips for planning a funeral service that will celebrate the life of your deceased loved one.