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In
funeral planning, realize that not everyone
wants the same type of funeral. Funerals can be simple or
lavish, and are influenced by religious/cultural traditions
and personal preferences. The number of decisions that must
be made can quickly become overwhelming due to the emotional
stress that usually accompanies funeral planning. Additionally,
most people needing to plan funerals come to the task knowing
next to nothing about the choices available to them. The
combination of emotional stress and lack of knowledge can
cause unnecessary expense—a lot of unnecessary expense.
Knowledge
is power, and knowing what choices you have when it comes
to funeral planning will give you the greatest control over
what you do and how much you spend to lay a loved one to
rest.
The
first step in funeral planning...done within your means...is
to determine the type of funeral you want. For example,
a memorial service at your church would limit the number
of services required from a funeral home—or caring for your
own dead may be a more meaningful (and more affordable)
option.
Here is a summary of funeral planning choices that will
help you think about what you want before you start contacting
service providers.
“Traditional” Full-Service Funeral
In
early America, “at home” funerals were the practice everywhere,
and each community had a group of women who came in to help
with “laying out the dead.” Visitation was held in the front
parlor followed by a procession to the church and cemetery.
Today,
when the term “traditional” is used to refer to a funeral,
it generally implies the services of a funeral home and
includes:
•
A time of visitation with the family, during which the casket
is present
• A private time for “viewing" by the immediate family
and friends during private time)
• A religious service in a church or at the funeral home
• A graveside ceremony for earth burial of the body or cremated
remains.
Direct
Disposition
With direct disposition, the body is usually taken from
the place of death directly to the cemetery (without embalming
or cremations).
Consumers may wish to choose direct disposition because
they do not wish to delay interment, and/or it is less expensive
than a traditional funeral. A graveside or memorial service
may be conducted at a later time, if desired.
Memorial Service
A memorial service is held some time after a direct cremation
or burial—anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
Do-It-Yourself
In some parts of North America, religious and ethnic groups
have maintained the funeral planning practice of caring
for their own dead. With the spread of the Hospice movement,
families are assuming more responsibility at the time of
death, and home or church funerals are again returning.
Those who have been involved with such funerals have found
them therapeutic and meaningful, with costs being minimal.
This alternative is possible in some localities, but practically
impossible in others. In some states, the law stipulates
that only licensed undertakers can transport bodies from
one place to another. Also, most states have fairly stringent
burial site restrictions. If consumers wish to choose this
alternative, it is important that they plan carefully and
check the pertinent laws in their locality. Crematories
and cemeteries should also be questioned about their practices.
If there is a memorial society in your area, it may be knowledgeable
about legal considerations.
Organ or Body Donation
Death
provides a one-time chance to make a valuable gift to humanity
and you may wish to consider it in funeral planning. All
major religions approve of body and organ donation for medical
and dental teaching, research, and transplants.
With
the advances in medical science in the last decade, organ
transplants have become fairly common. Organ donation at
a time of death is a gift of life or sight to the recipient.
Circumstances surrounding death may limit this option, yet
the corneas of even elderly donors will be grateful accepted.
If your wish is to aid the living with an organ donation,
make sure your next-of-kin and your physician know your
preference. This intent should be noted on any medical or
hospital records, too. A body from which organs have been
removed will not be accepted for medical study.
Medical
schools have an ongoing need for bodies for teaching and
research. The need may be especially urgent at osteopathic
and chiropractic schools. No medical school buys bodies,
but there is usually little or no expense for the family
when death occurs. Therefore, if you live in an area where
low-cost funeral options do not exist, body donation may
be an economical as well as a thoughtful and generous choice.
Most
medical schools pay for nearby transportation as well as
embalming and final disposition. The school may have a contract
with a particular firm for transporting bodies, so it is
important to inquire about the specific arrangements to
be used at the time of death in order to avoid added costs.
After medical study, the body is usually cremated, with
burial or scattering in a university plot. Often the cremains
or remains can be returned to the family for burial within
a year or two. This request should be made known at the
time of donation. Some medical schools require that a donor
register before death. However, in many cases, next-of-kin
may make the bequest without prior arrangement.
Because
it is important for the medical school to start preservation
as soon after death as possible, a memorial service is most
appropriate for those planning on body donation.
Realize
that when doing funeral planning, there may be circumstances
that will cause the medical school to refuse acceptance
of the body. This depends on cause of death and the guidelines
that the school itself follows. In case donation is not
possible due to unavoidable circumstances, alternative plans
for body disposition should be made. |
