subject: Planning A Traditional Memorial With A Funeral Parlor [print this page] Services dedicated to the departed are usually some of the saddest occasions that people plan for. Its not easy losing a loved one, and its especially harder when in the middle of the grief, a family has to make fill out forms, make arrangements with a funeral parlor, etc. Sometimes, planning contemporary or traditional memorial with a funeral parlor can be done by a person who is outside the family and has the right frame of mind to make decisions.
The Death Certificate
Whether the plan is to have a traditional or a cemetery memorial, the first document that needs to be secured is a death certificate to be issued by the funeral home. The number of copies needed usually depends on how complex the deceased persons estate is, and how many institutions will be asking for one. To issue a death certificate, a funeral home needs the deceased persons social insurance number, a copy of his birth certificate, a medical certificate issued by a doctor or registered nurse and vital statistics not found in the birth certificate, such as occupation, marital status, place of residence and place of death.
Discussing the Price
Everything in this world has a price, including setting off a deceased person to his last journey from earth - his funeral. When hiring a funeral parlor, it is important that you are clear on the overall cost of the services. Usually, you will be offered options in terms of immediate body disposition. You may make arrangements for moving the body from the hospital or home to the parlor and other minor related services.
Definitely, these arrangements will not include the cost of cremation, burial, cemetery monuments and administration tasks. Having a traditional burial, where the body will be placed in a casket and buried in a cemetery, will cost cheaper than cremating the body and putting it inside an urn. In any case, it is best to have everything well-laid out in the contract prior to the burial service.
Funeral Home After Care
Some funeral homes extend their services past burial and into what they call after care. This means assistance for the management of death benefits of the departed, as well as other important tasks to be done by surviving family members, such as discontinuation of a drivers license, managing income tax issues, making arrangements with the banks, etc.
Of course, after care services are not for free and can be a significant portion of the overall bill. Although after care is an additional expense, it offers family members a chance to be comfortable in their bereavement, not having to deal with matters that may be the last things they would want in their minds while dealing with a beloveds loss.
Whether the family prefers to do the task themselves or hire professionals, the point is to make the deceased persons last few days in this world peacefully memorable for those left behind.
