Sometimes the tasks to do for a funeral can be overwhelming for some families. It has been estimated that over 136 individual activities take place for one funeral to be conducted. The Funeral Director is responsible for ensuring that the family receives professional guidance and care and that the funeral services accurately reflect the wishes of the family in all aspects. We strongly encourage families to use us, work us!
Some families find planning and organizing the funeral helps with the grief and keeps their minds occupied. If the busyness helps you cope with loss, by all means, do as much as you are comfortable with. However, if the work is overwhelming and causing more stress, we recommend delegating the many activities. And add the funeral home to your list of delegates!
We encourage families who wish to do their loved one’s hair and make-up to do so. We have seen that this helps them accept the death and feel like they are serving their family. But, do not think that you must personally do this and do not think it is your responsibility to find someone. During the arrangement conference, we will go over your specific concerns for your loved one’s looks. If you want a particular hairstyle, makeup palette, even fingernails painted; feel free to delegate that to us. And if it is outside our area of expertise, then we can find the right professional for you.
Video tributes are something we are good at. Reminiscing can help the grieving process and going thru photos and brining up comforting memories can certainly help. It can also be stressful trying to get everything organized, scanned, put into a slideshow program, adding music, and creating a beautiful keepsake for families. This is a task you could delegate to the funeral home.
Most families already have a pastor and may have friends who would be honored to be part of the service. But for those families who do not have any connections to speakers, finding speakers and singers can be a daunting task. We have several pastors available to meet with the family and speak at the service. We also have an incredibly talented musician on staff who is honored to perform a few songs at the service. We can get someone to play the piano and others to take part if the family needs assistance.
Some families need assistance getting pot plants and floral arrangements to their homes. Sometimes there are several friends who offer their vehicles and are honored to assistance the family in any way possible. But others may worry about how they will get everything to the house. Again, ask the funeral home. We have a floral vehicle that we use to get the stands from the funeral service to the graveside. We would be proud to offer our services in transporting plants to the home.
The amount of paperwork involved in someone’s passing can certainly be overwhelming. Before letting all the forms completely stress you out, ask the funeral home for assistance. Even if we are not taking an assignment on the insurance, we will gladly help you file it. We can also notarize forms, print, copy, scan, email, and fax for you. We already have most of the vital information needed, and confidentiality is extremely important.
You trusted your funeral home enough to give them the job of caring for your loved one, you can them enough to ask for help. Do not let the many responsibilities needed add stress to an already stressful situation!