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Is it important to preplan
my funeral?
How can a funeral service director help?
How much will my funeral cost?
What should I expect at the
funeral arrangement conference, either when I prearrange or after
the loss of my loved one?
What is embalming and does it
need to be done?
Yes, because a funeral arrangement involves many choices and decisions.
In order to take the pressure off their grieving loved ones at
the time of their death many are choosing to complete these choices
ahead of time. Prearranging is a caring gesture which helps
your surviving family members by communicating your preferences
and values so that they won't be left with uncertainty and possibly
even guilt about having done the right thing.
Planning in advance also helps assure you will
have all your own preferences carried out for your funeral. For
example, what type of ceremony, what burial or cremation procedures
you wish, etc. If you carefully plan all of these things in advance
it will help your loved ones financially and emotionally at a
time when they will need it most. They will be comforted in the
fact that your wishes are being carried out according to how you
would want them.
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Most people find it very trying to be solely responsible for arranging
the details and legal matters surrounding a death. A funeral director
knows people and has a wide variety of resources and connections
in the community; they also genuinely care about helping.
A funeral director knows all the options and
can help with the planning. They have considerable skil, knowledge
and experience to help you make informed decisions. They will
assist you in all the aspects of the before, during and after
of your personal situation. They are committed to serving the
survivors and will apply a great deal of attention to addressing
the survivors' needs while maintaining you and your loved ones
choices.
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Because every family's wishes are different, it's difficult to
speak in about exact costs. No two funerals are the same, nor
should they be, as each individual funeral should be a reflection
of the individual person's wishes. There is a wide range of funeral
services from which to choose.
There are different considerations when planning
a funeral costs such as the type
and place of disposition, the memorialization,
the funeral provider's
services, merchandise
considerations and disbursements.
For the Type
and Place of Disposition, the choices are burial, cremation
or other more personal choices.
Burial costs will vary depending on
where the burial will take place. Typical burial costs include
the plot, servicing (opening/closing), outer container/liner or
vault as the cemetery may require. Be careful to consider if space
reservations should be made for the surviving spouse or family
members. A typical burial can range in price from $660 to $3200
or more.
If cremation is chosen it will include
the actual cremation, processing of the cremated remains, packaging
and documentation from the crematorium. The typical cremation
can cost about $450 to $500.
Other more personal choices of disposition can include entombment
in a mausoleum, or burial at sea, which are both very expensive.
Or one may simply choose to donate their body to science.
The Memorialization
has to do with the "place". It refers to a place
of permanence, remembrance, closure and perpetual care.
Burial and the Memorialization are inseparable,
i.e.: the grave space is the Memorial to that person.
Cremation however is an intermediate
step towards Memorialization. Some options for memorializing a
cremation service include: keeping the remains at home until a
permanents situation is arranged; scattering the remains privately
or in a designated scattering garden; inurnment which will be
then buried in the ground in either an existing grave or designated
cremation plot; columbarium (An above ground wall structure with
permanent space for two urns.). Other options may include creative
concepts like sinking at sea, spilling from the air, or rocketing
into space.
Because there are so many available options for the Memorialization
of an individual the cost can range from $0 to many thousands
of dollars.
The Funeral Provider's
Services are also a cost element to be considered.
The funeral provider is a licensed professional who will perform
services on behalf of the deceased, the deceased's family and
community of friends.
Common to any funeral expenses are the costs
involved in maintaining a 24 hour a day response; transferring
the deceased; documenting the arrangements; the provincial death
registration permits and certificates process; handling and care
of the body pending burial or cremation, including embalming if
requested; planning and coordinating the service requests of the
family; then also providing staff, facilities, equipment and vehicles
to carry out those service details.
The services of a funeral provider can cost
anywhere between $700 and $3500 depending on what the funeral
provider is asked to do.
The Merchandise
component of funeral expenses includes the tangible items used
to care for the remains and the memorialization of the deceased..
Costs to consider are a casket or alternative container for the
body, an urn, a monument or a vault. All of these things
can range in price from less than $100 to upwards of $5000
or more.
The final cost to
consider is the Disbursements. Costs for items or
services incidental to the funeral but not directly provided by
the funeral director. These may include flowers, newspaper notices,
death certificates, custom printed materials, honorariums to clergy,
musicians, etc., and reception costs (ie: catering and beverages).
Of course these items can range in price from nothing to the cost
of whatever is desired.
Various service packages are available.
All of them are flexible and customizable to specifically address
the unique mix of decisions which best suit the wishes of the
deceased and the survivors. A funeral staff member would
be pleased to assist in the planning of a service which specifically
reflects the family's wishes and financial ability.
Our main concern for you is VALUE, FLEXIBILITY
and RESPECT.
For personal and specific pricing information
contact us by phone (250) 860-7077 to arrange for an appointment,
or .
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When arranging a funeral, there are key pieces of information
needed and other items necessary to plan the funeral. This information
will be used in completing an obituary notice, obtaining death
certificates, securing eligible benefits, and planning the funeral
program. Additionally, the funeral director will help complete
several specific legal documents.
During the arrangement conference, you will be provided with a
complete estimate of all costs associated with the choices you
may select.
For the survivor the emotional impact of the
passing of a loved one often makes it difficult to concentrate
on the overwhelming number of details associated with planning
the funeral. Experts estimate there are over 200 activities or
details that must be coordinated over a two-to-five day span in
preparation for and during a funeral. You and your funeral director
will need to plan the funeral carefully to ensure it expresses
your and your loved one's wishes.
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While embalming is not mandatory except in some specific instances,
it is our sincere belief that healing is best promoted by adequate
closure of a relationship. The grief journey includes spending
time with the loved one's body, that part of them that gave us
access to their soul. As the body is viewed and we bid our
farewell, the reality of death is impressed upon us visually,
and so we are able to begin our sad journey through grief to a
new kind of wholeness.
That being said, embalming is the process of
disinfecting, preserving and restoring the deceased human body.
Disinfection is important for the safety of the family
and general public, who may wish to touch, hug or kiss their loved
one in the casket. Preservation allows for the safe holding
of the body for a period of time until services can be held or
to allow for the transportation of the body. In the case
of emaciating disease or a disfiguring accident, restoration
involves the returning of the body, particularly the facial features
and the hands to an acceptable appearance. This is done
so that the last image a relative or friend has of their loved
one is not that of the negative appearance caused by the circumstances
surrounding the death.
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