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Should
children attend the funeral?
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The death of a loved one can be a very
confusing and bewildering experience for
children. Attendance at the funeral may be
helpful for a child to realize the finality
of death, and also allows the child to share
in the emotional experience with the family.
However, you should not insist that they
attend. Let the children express sorrow in
their own way and do not force ideas on
them, such as grieving or funeral
attendance. Talk with younger children. If
they want to attend the funeral, prepare
them for the experience and answer any
questions they may have. Many funeral homes
have brochures or helpful videos that can
help provide answers to questions children
might have.
How much do
funerals cost?
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Most funeral homes offer funerals from
simple to elaborate, with pricing to match.
Stating an average cost can be somewhat
misleading. With a vast number of options
from which to choose, you would benefit
greatly by taking time to visit the funeral
facility, meeting the staff, and allowing
the staff to help you determine what best
meets your needs.
According to
Federal Law, all funeral homes must give
price information over the phone. In
addition, funeral homes must provide you
with their current General Price List, which
should itemize the costs associated with
funerals.
Funeral costs
can generally be put into four categories:
-
the
merchandise purchased for the funeral,
such as caskets, vaults, flowers,
register books and memorial folders
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the
professional services of the funeral
director and staff
-
the
transportation required for the funeral
-
cash advance
items. Cash advance items are third
party charges that the funeral home
includes on their bill as a courtesy to
the family. Some of the most common cash
advance items are death certificates,
newspaper notices, musicians, and hair
dresser.
It is important
to realize that within each of these
categories, there are choices you may make
based on your wishes for the funeral and
your budget.
What are the
payment options?
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Preplanning and prepaying for funerals
enables you to make decisions and financial
arrangements more calmly than your family
may be able to at the time of your death. If
a funeral has not been prepaid, most funeral
homes will request payment prior to the
service or require an assignment of
insurance proceeds large enough to cover the
funeral bill. If an individual has good
credit, some funeral homes will allow the
payment to be deferred for 30 days, but a
substantial down payment is usually
required.
Today more and
more people are paying for funerals in
advance because funeral homes are able to
freeze the cost. With studies showing that
funeral costs tend to double every ten years
, you can have peace of mind in knowing that
the cost of the prearranged funeral will not
increase.
Many families
choose to make one single payment for their
prearranged funeral, while others choose to
pay over time. If paying over time, look for
a plan that does not have a finance charge.
Some funeral homes offer time payment plans
with insurance protection. If death occurs
before all payments are completed, the
insurance will cover the remaining balance.
Regardless of
which plan is selected, the cost will remain
frozen. This ensures that your family will
not have to worry about cost at a most
difficult time.
What are
"funeral trust accounts"?
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Funeral trust accounts are supervised by a
state agency to ensure safety. When you
establish a funeral trust account with a
funeral home licensed to offer them, under
State law, 100% percent of the funds you
deposit are placed in a trust account. Over
time the interest income from the
investments will increase the account to
offset inflation. Interest earned is subject
to income tax.
Funeral homes
arranging trust accounts will meet with you
to estimate the funds needed to provide the
services you desire, and to help you
establish an account to provide those funds.
They will also place your plan on file so
that you may change it at any time.
Fore more specific information regarding
funeral trust accounts and other valubale
pre-arrangement options, including other
approved investment vehicles, please contact
one of our professionals.
What are the
advantages of preplanning funerals?
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By preplanning and filing a funeral plan
with Cheshire Family Funeral Home, you
provide several major courtesies for your
survivors. Your family will know for sure
what your wishes are, as most people discuss
the plan once it is completed. Your
survivors will more than likely follow your
wishes, unless extenuating circumstances
prevent it. If you have set money aside to
pay for services, you will have also saved
your family from the financial burden of
funeral expenses during an emotional time in
their lives.
There are dozens
of separate decisions and choices to be made
when death occurs. Most of these can be made
in advance and kept on record at the funeral
home. The funeral director can show you a
complete list of services and merchandise
available as well as current pricing. You
can also decide about visitation or wake
plans, and how and where the funeral is to
be held. Some people select their casket,
vault, memorial folders, and prayer cards in
advance. Each individual can decide how many
decisions about their funeral they wish to
make in advance.
Prepaying is
also helpful in preventing inflation. Most
prearrangements made with funeral homes
either guarantee the final expense or make
provisions for growth in the account.
Answers to
Questions about Cremation
What are the typical cremation services?
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There are several preplanning decisions to
consider it choosing cremation. Will there
be a service for viewing the deceased before
cremation? A wake or visitation hours can be
arranged with a funeral home just as they
are for earth burial or entombment. Although
a casket is not required for cremation, if a
viewing is chosen before the cremation, a
casket can be rented or one that is
combustible can be purchased for the
cremation. Few crematories will accept
plastic or fiberglass caskets.
Cremation can be
considered as an end in itself, and
Tennessee laws make no specific requirements
for the disposition of cremated remains
after the process is complete. Nevertheless,
most families feel the remains should have a
final resting place that can be identified
with names and dates. This is called
memorialization. Many urns are available for
permanent containment of the cremated
remains. The urn can be placed in a
columbarium, which is a building or
structure for cremated remains, where single
niche spaces or family units may be
purchased for burial. Many cemeteries have
specially designated areas, called urn
gardens, for this purpose. Scattering the
remains is also an option, and can be
legally done in most areas.
Some cemeteries
have scattering gardens. These allow the
deceased's wishes to be carried out, yet
allow the family some form of
memorialization because they are assured the
site chosen will not be developed for
another use at a later time. Often, these
scattering gardens have the option of
personal memorials.
Our staff will
be happy to explain the many options
available to families who choose cremation.
What do
cremation services cost?
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Because there are so many service options
available with cremation, precise estimates
are difficult to make. The family has the
option to select as much, or as little, as
they wish with cremation.
Several factors,
however, can influence the cost of the
cremation. If a wake or church service is
planned before the cremation, a casket is
needed. Most crematories require a rigid,
combustible container and usually will not
accept plastic or fiberglass. If a
non-combustible casket is chosen for
viewing, an alternative container would need
to be purchased for the cremation,
increasing the cost. However, in such
situations, it is often possible to rent a
casket for viewing, at about half the cost
of purchasing the casket. If a wake or
viewing is not chosen, and if economy and
simplicity are a concern, there are many
types of containers acceptable for
cremation. Containers can be made from pine,
plywood and pressboard. The least expensive
containers are typically labeled
"alternative containers." These alternative
containers are generally made of heavy
cardboard and fulfill the crematory
requirements.
The final
resting place of the remains is also a
factor in the cost of cremation. There are
various costs associated with the cremation
process itself, including advance payment
before the cremation occurs. Other costs
include the purchase of an urn for permanent
containment and a final resting place for
the remains such as a columbarium: a
building or structure for cremated remains
where single niche spaces or family units
can be selected or where a burial lot may be
purchased.
The extent and
the content of the cremation service is up
to the family, and helps to determine the
costs.
What are the
advantages of preplanning cremation
services?
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If a person wishes to be cremated, it is
recommended they have their choice for the
service legally documented. By selecting the
services in advance, an individual will have
had a chance to research all their options
and make a well thought out decision. In
addition, preplanning can take the
decision-making process out of the hands of
the family during an emotional time.
Generally, the family will be more likely to
follow the deceased's wishes. When cremation
is chosen, it is also recommended to inform
family members of the decision. There can be
differences of opinion among survivors as to
the desirability of cremation.
Pre-purchasing of property for cremated
remains is also an option. Generally, the
cremation property that is pre-purchased
will not go up in price.
Benefits from
the Veteran's Administration are available
to any honorably discharged individual,
surviving spouse, and children of the
veteran. These benefits include an American
flag, a grave marker, and in some cases
military honors. If a veteran and spouse are
buried in a national cemetery, they will
also receive a grave space and the minimum
outer burial container, called a grave
liner.
For more
information, contact one of our
professionals. We are pleased to offer these
services to you as part of our professional
commitment to your family. Call or email us
today!
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