What
purpose does a funeral serve?
It is the customary way to recognize death and its finality. Funerals
are recognized rituals for the living to show respect for the dead and
to help survivors begin the grief process.
What do funeral directors do?
Funeral directors are caregivers and administrators. They make the arrangements
for transportation of the body, complete all necessary paperwork, and
implement the choices made by the family regarding the funeral and final
disposition of the body. Funeral directors are listeners, advisors and
supporters. They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with
death. Funeral directors are trained to answer questions about grief,
recognize when a person is having difficulty coping, and recommend sources
of professional help. Funeral directors also link survivors with support
groups at the funeral home or in the community.
Why have a public viewing?
Viewing is part of many cultural and ethnic traditions. Many grief specialists
believe that viewing aids the grief process by helping the bereaved
recognize the reality of death. Viewing is encouraged for
children, as long as the process is explained and the activity voluntary.
What is the purpose of embalming?
Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body, retards the decomposition
process, and enhances the appearance of a body disfigured by traumatic
death or illness. Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between
death and the final disposition, thus allowing family members time to
arrange and participate in the type of service most comforting to them.
Does a dead body have to be embalmed, according to law?
No. No state, requires embalming except in certain cases where death
is due a "communicable disease" as defined by public health
law. It may also be required if remains are to be transported by a common
carrier (airplane or train) or if final disposition is delayed for more
than a short period of
time.
Isn't burial space becoming scarce?
While it is true some metropolitan areas have limited available cemetery
space, in most areas of the country, there is enough space set aside
for the next 50 years without creating new cemeteries. In addition,
land available for new cemeteries is more than adequate, especially
with the increase in entombment and multi-level grave burial.
Is cremation a substitute for a funeral?
No, cremation is an alternative to earth burial or entombment for the
body's final disposition and often follows a traditional funeral service.
In fact, according to FTC figures for 1987, direct cremation occurred
in only 3% of deaths.
Is it possible to have a traditional funeral if someone dies of AIDS?
Yes, A person who dies of an AIDS-related illness is entitled to the
same service options afforded to anyone else. If public viewing is consistent
with local or personal customs, that option is encouraged. Touching
the deceased's face or hands is perfectly safe. Because the grief experienced
by survivors may include a variety of feelings, survivors may need even
more support than survivors of non-AIDS-related deaths.
How much does a funeral cost?
In 1998 the average charge for an adult, full-service funeral, was $5,020.
This includes a professional service charge, transfer-of remains, embalming,
other preparation, use of viewing facilities, use of facilities for
ceremony, hearse, limousine, and casket. The casket included in this
price was an 18 gauge steel casket with velvet interior which may or
may not be the most common casket chosen. Vault, cemetery and monument
charges are additional. (Source: 1999 NFDA Survey of Funeral Home
Operations)
Why are funerals so expensive?
When compared to other major life cycle events, like births and weddings,
funerals are not expensive. A wedding costs at least three times as
much; but because it is a happy event, wedding costs are rarely criticized.
A funeral home is a 24-hour, labor-intensive business, with extensive
facilities (viewing rooms, chapels, limousines, hearses, etc.), these
expenses must be factored into the cost of a funeral. Moreover, the
cost of a funeral includes not only merchandise, like caskets, but the
services of a funeral director in making arrangements; filing appropriate
forms; dealing with doctors, ministers, florists, newspapers and others;
and seeing to all the necessary details. Contrary to popular belief,
funeral homes are largely family-owned with a modest profit margin.
What recourse does a consumer have for poor service or overcharging?
Funeral service is regulated by the FTC and state licensing boards.
In most cases, the consumer should discuss problems with the funeral
director first. If the dispute cannot be solved by talking with the
funeral director, the consumer may wish to contact the Funeral Service
Consumer Assistance Program. FSCAP provides information, mediates disputes,
provides arbitration, and maintains a consumer guarantee fund for reimbursement
of services rendered. (To contact FSCAP, call
708-827-6337 or 800-662-7666).
Do funeral directors take advantage of the bereaved?
Funeral directors are caring individuals who help people deal with a
very stressful time. They serve the same families 80% of the time, and
many have spent most of their lives in the same community. If they took
advantage of bereaved families, they could not stay in business. The
fact that the average funeral home has been in business over 59 years
shows that most funeral directors respect the wishes of the bereaved
families.
Is it right to make a profit from death?
Funeral directors look upon their profession as a service, but it is
also a business. Like any business, funeral homes must make a profit
to exist. As long as the profit is reasonable and the services rendered
are necessary, complete, and satisfactory to the family, profit is legitimate.
Don't funeral directors mark caskets up tremendously, at least 400%?
No. Talking about the mark up on caskets is really not the point. Most
items--clothing, furniture, jewelry--are marked up as much or more than
caskets. The real question is whether the funeral director is making
an excessive profit, And that answer is "No." Profits run
around 12.5% before taxes -- not excessive by any standard.
Who pays for funerals for the indigent?
Other than the family, there are veteran, union, and other organizational
benefits to pay for funerals, including, in certain instances, a lump
sum death payment from Social Security. In most states, some form of
public aid allowances are available from either the state, county, or
city or a combination. Most funeral directors are aware of the various
benefits and know how to obtain them for the indigent. However, funeral
directors often absorb costs above and beyond what is provided by agencies
to insure the deceased a respectable burial.
What should I do if the death occurs in the middle of the night or
on
the weekend?
Most Funeral Directors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Will someone come right away?
If you request immediate assistance, yes. If the family wishes to spend
a short time with the deceased to say good bye, it's acceptable. They
will come when your time is right.
If a loved one dies out of state , can the local Funeral Home still
help?
Yes, they can assist you with out-of-state arrangements, either to transfer
the remains to another state or from another state.
I've decided on cremation. Can I still have a funeral or a viewing?
Yes, quite often some sort of viewing precedes the actual cremation.
Your Funeral Home can assist you with the necessary information for
a funeral with a cremation following or a memorial service.
WHAT TO DO WHEN A DEATH OCCURS
Q: What should I do when a death occurs in my family?
A: Contact the funeral home as soon as a death has occurred. A time
will be set up with the funeral director to come in and make arrangements.
The funeral home will help coordinate arrangements with the cemetery,
church and clergy.
Q: What should I do if a death occurs while I am away traveling?
A: Contact us immediately, and let us coordinate with a funeral home
in the area where the death has occurred. We will take charge from then
on and make all the arrangements for transporting the deceased to a
local funeral home for embalming and preparation for return to home.
You only need contact us with some basic information and call us when
you return home to set a time for an arrangement conference.
Q: What if a death occurs while traveling outside the U.S.?
If a family member dies while traveling outside the United States, the
U.S. Embassy will come to your assistance. You should call us immediately
when a death occurs abroad. We are well versed in the procedures for
returning the deceased to the United States.
SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
Q: Who is eligible for monthly Social Security Benefits?
A: A widow or widower age 60 or older (50 if disabled), or at any age
if caring for an entitled child who is under 16 or disabled; a divorced
widow or widower age 60 or older (50 if disabled) if the marriage lasted
10 years, or if caring for an entitled child who is under 16 or disabled;
unmarried children up to age 18 (19 if they are attending a primary
or secondary school full lime); children who were disabled before reaching
22, as long as they remained disabled; dependent parent or parents 62
or older.
Q: How may I find out more information and apply for benefits?
A: You must apply in order to receive benefits. You may apply at any
Social Security office or, if you wish, you may apply by telephone.
Just dial the toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 and the operator will
schedule an appointment for you or arrange for the local Social Security
office to take your claim by telephone. You may also visit http://www.ssa.gov
for more information.
VETERANS BENEFITS
Q: Who is eligible?
A: An eligible veteran must have been discharged or separated from active
duty under conditions other than dishonorable and have completed the
required period of service. Persons entitled to retired pay as a result
of 20 years creditable service with a reserve component are eligible.
A U.S. citizen who served in the armed forces of a government allied
with the United States in a war also may be eligible. A 1997 law bars
persons convicted of federal or state capital crimes from being buried
or memorialized in one of the VA national cemeteries or in Arlington
National Cemetery.
Spouses and minor children of eligible veterans and of service members
also may be buried in a national cemetery. Adult children incapable
of self-support due to physical or mental disability are eligible for
burial. If a surviving spouse of an eligible veteran marries a non veteran,
and remarriage was terminated by divorce or death of the non veteran,
the spouse is eligible for burial in a national cemetery.
Q: What do the benefits include?
A: Burial benefits in a VA national cemetery include the grave site,
a headstone or marker, opening and closing of the grave, and perpetual
care. Many national cemeteries have columbaria or grave sites for cremated
remains. Benefits also include headstones and markers, Presidential
memorial certificates, burial flags and Reimbursement of Burial Expenses,
depending on the circumstances. Contact should be made to the Veterans
Affairs Office to determine what benefits can be claimed and then gather
the information required. The National Toll-free Number for the Veterans
Affairs Office is (800) 827-1000.
