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.
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.
Do you have to have a funeral director to bury the dead?
In most states, family members may bury their own dead although
regulations vary. However, most people find it very trying to
be solely responsible for arranging the details and legal matters
surrounding a death.
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.
What is the purpose of embalming?
Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body, retards the decomposition
process, and enhances the appearance of a body disfigured by
traumatic death or illness.
Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between death
and the final disposition, thus allowing family members time
to arrange and participate in the type of service most comforting
to them.
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.
Isn't burial space becoming scarce?
While it is true some metropolitan areas have limited available
cemetery space, in most areas of the country, there is enough
space set aside for the next 50 years without creating new cemeteries.
In addition, land available for new cemeteries is more than
adequate, especially with the increase in entombment and multi-level
grave burial.
Is it possible to have a traditional funeral if someone dies
of AIDS?
Yes, a person who dies of an AIDS-related illness is entitled
to the same service options afforded to anyone else. If public
viewing is consistent with local or personal customs, that option
is encouraged. Touching the deceased's face or hands is perfectly
safe.
Because the grief experienced by survivors may include a variety
of feelings, survivors may need even more support than survivors
of non-AIDS-related deaths.
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)
What comprises the cost of a funeral?
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/year |
167 |
| BEFORE tax profit |
11.3% |
(Source: 1995 NFDA Survey
of Funeral Home Operations)
Who pays for funerals for the indigent?
Other than the family, there are veteran, union, and other organizational
benefits to pay for funerals, including, in certain instances,
a lump sum death payment from Social Security. In most states,
some form of public aid allowances are available from either the
state, county, or city or a combination.
Most funeral directors are aware of the various benefits and
know how to obtain them for the indigent. However, funeral directors
often absorb costs above and beyond what is provided by agencies
to insure the deceased a respectable burial.
What should I do if the death occurs in the middle of the night
or on the weekend?
Our Funeral Directors are available 24 hours a day, seven days
a week, 365 days per year. For more information about what to do when a death occurs, click here.
Will someone come right away?
If you request immediate assistance, yes. If the family wishes
to spend a short time with the deceased to say good bye, it's
acceptable. They will come when your time is right.
If a loved one dies out of state or out of country, can the local Funeral Home
still help?
Yes, we can assist you with out-of-state or out-of-country arrangements, either
to transfer the remains to another state/country, or from another state/country. For more information about what to do when a death occurs away from home, click here.
So, I've decided on cremation. Can I still have a funeral or
a viewing?
Yes, quite often some sort of viewing precedes the actual cremation.
Our Funeral Home can assist you with the necessary information
for a funeral with a cremation following or a memorial service.
