Most of us do NOT want to think of death, ours or of loved ones. This is very understandable because we want to spend time enjoying life, and not waste time by being pre-occupied with death. However, this avoidance poses a problem when death in the family does occur.

The age-old adage is true; you are never really prepared to lose a loved one and when that happens, the grief is so much that you hardly know what to do. How can you gather everybody and make arrangements when you can’t even seem to function well yourself. And this is really the main benefit of dealing with funeral homes, they do all the thinking and arranging for you.

Funeral Home Services

First of all, not all funeral homes are created equal. Some offer basic funeral services, while others have a whole menu of services to choose from. However, always remember that you are not obligated to utilize all these services. You can say no to anything you don’t like and simply enlist those that you do.

Following is list of funeral home services.

Funeral pre-planning. This service is for those who do not want to burden their family with what needs to be done when they pass away. For others, it’s also a means to ensure that what they want is what occurs when they pass on. What will happen is that the funeral home will have a consultant that you can talk to. To this person, you can relay various practical matters such as if you want a funeral theme, taking care of funeral payments, and even funeral trusts and insurance products.

Note that funeral pre-planning need not only be for you; for instance, many sons and daughters nowadays engage in funeral pre-planning for their parents. This way, everybody knows what will happen.

Death records. After a loved one has passed away, certain legal documents need to be arranged before the actual burial. For instance, hospital death records and other death certificates are needed before one can proceed with a funeral and this can be taken care of by the funeral home.

Funeral services. A funeral service is a means for family members, friends, and even acquaintances to gather together to celebrate the memory of the deceased. During this time of grief, it’s difficult to plan and take care of this and it’s one of the main reasons why you should consider the services of a funeral home.

There are many tasks to accomplish when a loved one has passed away and given your understandable emotional state at this time, wouldn’t it be REAL comfort if you had someone you trust taking care of all these arrangements for you?

A lot of people still try to avoid the topic of death but more and more are actually opening up about it and go as far as making plans for their demise. Pre-planning your own funeral accomplishes many things and following is short run down of these benefits.

You ensure that YOUR wishes are carried out.

Despite your loved ones’ best intentions, there may be chance that had you still been alive, you would probably dislike the funeral arrangements made for you. By pre-planning your own funeral you ensure that YOUR wishes are carried out.

For instance, a lot of family members disagree about cremation and traditional burial arrangements. If you have the same dilemma, you may want to take matters into your own hands by dealing with a reputable funeral home already who will see to it that your wishes are carried out.

‘Practicalities’ are out of the way.

Another benefit to making death arrangements while you are still alive is that all the practicalities are pre-discussed and there’s peace of mind for both you and your loved ones. For example, what if you passed away, say, out of town? What will the arrangements be? There are also Death Benefits (social security) for your spouse or children. How much is that and how can they get it? If you have life insurance, how will your loved ones start processing a claim?

Understandably, a lot of family members try to avoid these discussions but not talking about them does not mean they do not need to be addressed when the time comes.

By arranging what needs to be done now, both you and your family will have peace of mind and know what to expect once the time comes.

You’re passing becomes smoother for grieving family members.

No one is really ever ready to lose a loved one. When you pass away, your family will in all likelihood be in shock and in deep grief. In this regard, it is a tremendous relief if someone arrives and simply takes over funeral proceedings. By having a ‘detached’ person ensure that your funeral wishes are carried out, family members can focus on just being together and commemorating your memory.

We cannot escape death. It will come one way or the other so to avoid it is moot. If you think about it this way, then you’ll realize that changing your death mindset from avoidance to taking control is the best recourse.

Death is sometimes a sudden phenomenon and at times, death can come in the form like that of an illness. But it would take time for death to reveal itself. Overall, death has proven to be very difficult to handle especially when those who are close and dear to us are separated from us.

The first step is always the hardest and it would involve choosing the funeral home. The emotional decisions involved at a time of grief and sadness often deprives us of good decisions to make. And with it, you need to have a trustworthy being to help you make that tough decision and make you feel comfortable at a time of crisis. You must understand that the person chosen will have to be honest about the entire process, the procedures, and the overall costs of the funeral; a person that would have respect, compassion, and sympathy to your needs.

Knowing what question to ask when choosing a funeral home, would not only help you decide what funeral home your loved one would be comfortable with but will also give you the comfort needed for you to accept that your loved one will now have peaceful rest.

• Is this an independent funeral home? Does it have any connection with a corporation? An independent funeral home is usually owned by a local community which would fully understand what you are going through.

• Does the funeral home offer pre-arrangements? It would be comforting enough to know that you have already planned out everything and that all you would do is to accompany your loved one for one last time because you have dealt with the hassles early on.

• Is there a price list available? Certain funeral homes do not have price lists. This should not be the case. Price list should be given without any hesitations.

• Are your funeral directors licensed and do they have advanced training? Not only is a license or a certificate important to prove that they are eligible to run a funeral home, it should also be shown through ways that he is sympathizing with your loss and that he or she is competent enough to help you in any way possible.

These questions should help you determine the right service and the right funeral home that will be available to assist you with your personal needs. Many people have found it advantageous to go back to the funeral home that their family had always gone to. It is also of great advantage to research and discover a wide array of choices.

It is becoming more common for people in today’s times to make arrangements long before their funeral. This not only saves the uncertainty at the time of the death, but also assists in warding off the confusion and turmoil and minimizing the impact of the blow. As the family members are already equipped with the instructions on the arrangements of the funeral, they are more able to deal with the pain of the catastrophe.

Calmness and peace of mind are guaranteed when a person decides to pre-arrange his/her funeral as they are timely informed as to what services they will be offered at the time of their death. For those who have no friends or relatives surviving them, pre-planning gives an added advantage of insuring them of a proper funeral service after death. Through pre-arrangements people can be well assured that their wishes will be complied to and their preferences met.

It is best to pre-arrange a funeral when one is in the prime of his life, as deteriorating health can lead to the mind becoming dazed and can trigger it to make unwise decisions.

Steps involved in pre arranging a funeral:

• After the person has laid down his funeral priorities, the funeral homes will guide in formulating plans and in explaining the best possible options available.

• Family and clergy advice will be sought for in furthering these plans before the final decisions are made.

• Relevant information will be transcribed and relative documents gathered by the funeral homes to assist in filling out the forms.

• Next, the person is required to make a selection for the mode of funeral. Either burial or cremation; or whether it is a casket, urn or coffin. A choice of other miscellaneous commodities can also called for.

• Lastly, the person is exacted to pay for the pre-arranged funeral services through the desired means of payment.

Most people are bothered with the issue of the cost. Nonetheless, it is very easy to settle. Since most funeral homes have itemized pricing guides with the price of each item listed, it is easy to pave your way through and settle on the most convenient option. A major benefit of pre-arranging is that the price for the funeral is to be paid at its current price. This provides the person immunity against future inflation and guarantees a competent and well-set funeral.

Almost all funeral homes provide the assistance of funeral directors who furnish people with the best counsel and plans. In this era of computers, it is very convenient to fill out online pre-planning forms and inquire information on a funeral home’s website. This not only saves time, but also allows you to seek counsel and answers by sitting at home. Distances now do not need to be covered to solicit help; but instead you can get it at the comfort of your home.

In a world of life insurances and burial insurances, pre-arranged funerals make sense. They help in dealing with grief and financial problems when the dreadful hour of death occurs. It is a symbol of consideration and respect, and ensures that like in every aspect of life a family member, he or she has a say even in his or her funeral planning.

Dealing with a traumatic event such as death will never be easy. Most of us or perhaps all of us share a fear which we neither acknowledge to ourselves, nor to other people. That is the fear of death. Though death is inevitable, the fear is not. Planning ahead helps in keeping the fear of the dead at bay. The chief step in planning requires choosing the right type of funeral home for the burial or the cremation of your loved one.

It might seem impudent or impolite to shop for a funeral home well before time, but death is never predictable and might come as a shock, leaving the family members in a state of disarray and confusion. A funeral home should reside in the same area as the cemetery, as it not only lowers the cost, but also the charge of burial is greatly eased. Funeral homes can also be searched on the Internet and anyone can come up with a surprisingly big list of funeral homes which coincides with the searcher’s requirements. Below are a few factors that must be considered before choosing a funeral home:

• Expenses

Since funeral homes are quite expensive and may drain all the family’s resources, it’s a good idea to select a funeral home which best meets the expenses. Do not trust solely on other people’s opinions. It is best to do your own detailed research and get itemized prices from funeral homes so it doesn’t really come as a shock when you receive the invoice.

• Preferences and Written Will

It is also advisable to check your dead loved one’s preferences while he or she is still living, or a written will to make sure that the funeral home desired has not been previously mentioned. If the funeral home has been mentioned in writing, it is appropriate and fitting to go ahead with that one.

• Preparedness

An extra staffing room in a funeral home is also a major consideration, especially if the family expects to receive guests from out of town. It would be commendable to choose a funeral home which can host the guests as it may become a stressful situation for the family to make arrangements for the guest while dealing with their loss.

The merchandise, preparation and transportation of the body also need to be given thought. A funeral home which provides all these facilities should be credited. Going into more detail, a funeral home which gives the right price for its merchandise like caskets, urns or coffins should be picked out.

Extreme caution should be exercised where funeral homes do not give precise information. Authorization cards should never be signed until the family is absolutely sure of the authenticity of the document offered by the funeral home.

• References

If a friend has previously taken services from a funeral home and has been satisfied with the result, then the best option is to go with the same funeral home as it is always better to use services which have already been tested and proved. A talk with the directors of selected funeral homes can resolve the matter and help in decision making.

Pre-planning is not a method to alleviate pain and loss, but nevertheless, it still provides little solace at the time of need. For no one can put off death, but a lot of confusion and suffering can be put off if correct planning has been done.