Eternal Rest Funeral Home
Planning a Funeral
Meaningful Services
What to do First
- The deceased's personal information
- Their last will
- Their prepaid disposition plan
- Organ/Body donor registration information (After Death Planning Guide, n.d.).
If the deceased did not leave any of these documents behind and their wishes are unknown, the next step would be to figure out who is in charge of making decisions regarding the funeral arrangements and body disposition. If the deceased has a power of attorney for health care these decisions will be left up to them, if not, the spouse or next legal kin will be in charge (After Death Planning Guide, n.d.).
Challenges within the Family
Traditions and Rituals
- Choose a burial or cremation service
- Select a casket or cremation container
- Select a burial vault or cremation urn
- Choose the type of service you want and what time you would prefer to have this service
- Will there be a wake or family viewing; If so, will there be an open or closed casket
- Will there be floral arrangements, candles, or incense
- What religious items would you like displayed, if any
- Select music, hymns, prayers, scriptures, or other literature to be read (Organizing Arrangements, n.d.).
How your loved one's body is prepared for final disposition, as well as the final disposition is important to consider right away, as well. Some of your options are listed below:
- Embalming
- Cleaning & wrapping
- Body donation to science
- Entombment
- Mausoleums (Leming & Dickinson, 2011).
Funeral Expenses
If you and your family are struggling to cover the costs of a loved one's funeral, you have several options:
- Call your department of social services to find out if they offer a burial/cremation program
- Contact government agencies
- Create a GiveForward page to start a memorial fundraiser (Help with Funeral Expenses, n.d.).
- Avoid emotional overspending
Additional Resources
http://www.planningafuneral.com/
http://www.sevenponds.com/after_death_planning_guide
References
After Death Planning Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.sevenponds.com/after_death_planning_guide/s/1_Immediate_Help/2
Help with Funeral Expenses. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.giveforward.com/p/help-with-funeral-expenses
Key Funeral Planning Considerations and Challenges. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.funeralresources.com/plan-a-funeral/funeral-planning-challenges/
Leming, M., & Dickinson, G. (2011). Understanding dying, death, and bereavement (7th ed.). Australia: Cengage.
Organizing Arrangements. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.mywayforward.com/tools__checklists/tool_organizing_arrangements/