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| The caisson carrying the casket of Army Captain María Inés Ortiz arrives for funeral services (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
It’s never easy to plan a
funeral. However, it is important to have a clear idea of what kind of areas
that you need to cover if you do have the responsibility for arranged one -
what are some of the key steps that you need to take to ensure that you don’t
have to deal with any unexpected problems in the preparation for and the day of
a funeral, as well as after the event? From working with a hospital, to
choosing a funeral provider, and including going over details with officials,
it’s worth considering the following steps.
First Steps
You’ll first need to have
arrangements in place with a hospital, a nursing home, or emergency services
for a funeral; in many cases, these can be worked out in advance through written
wills and documents that state preferences. Make sure that you are able to be
in contact with medical services and a funeral provider.
Choosing A Funeral Provider
What kind of funeral provider you
choose will depend on a number of different factors, from whether or not there
are a list of approved providers as part of your life insurance, through to
who’s available in your local area. You may find that you have a strong
cooperative service in your area that can offer a comprehensive service.
Choose the Right Plan
Look at multiple aspects of a
funeral before deciding on a plan, and use a will and funeral instructions to
set out the details - these details can include whether or not the deceased
wanted a burial or cremation, as well as what kind of service is required.
You’ll also need to discuss budgets and features with a funeral director, which
can include the expense of a coffin, procession, and grave marking services.
Going Over Details with Officials
Make sure that you take the time
to go over all details with officials before a funeral - this can be invaluable
to ensuring that nothing is missed, and that there hasn’t been any
miscommunication. Particularly look at aspects like the choice of songs or
readings at a religious ceremony, as well as at delivery times.
Items
Work through a checklist of the
kind of items you want to include in your funeral plan, which can then be
folded into an overall budget by a funeral provider and director; such items
might include urns, grave markers, as well as other services such as online
notifications and acknowledgements that can be difficult to put together at
short notice.
Post-Funeral
After the funeral, you’ll need to
be able to handle any legal issues that might arise - make sure you have a
solicitor to go through wills and an estate, and contact any employers,
insurance companies, and banks to make sure that all records are updated. It’s
best to get as much help as you can for this kind of work.
In general, it’s always best to
plan for a future as far ahead as possible, and to compare as many different
funeral providers as possible. Discuss what you want to do with loved ones, and
get a clear idea of what needs to happen. Even if plans aren’t too specific,
it’s better to have some kind of framework in place.
Author Bio: Liam Ohm is a freelance writer,
writing on subjects such as funeral
services to financial planning. In his spare time he enjoys running and
attending seminars.
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