When a person dies, and funeral directors have experience with this, everyone’s emotions are heightened. Even if the death has been anticipated for a while, and even if the person is a hundred years old; even if the death is somewhat of a relief, emotions run high. And of course when it is an unexpected death, then emotions are even rawer.
A funeral director, or a company that specialises in the difficult business of death, handles all aspects of the funeral arrangements in the way that you want them to be handled – professionally and with compassion. They can take everything over if that is what you need, from start to finish, including letting people know, invitations, details, and everything else that goes with a funeral.
The small details count
The small details do count when it comes to organising a funeral, and funeral service providers are good at the small details. Any time anyone is dealing with death, as with life, there needs to be respect, kindness, dignity, and understanding. Grief is complex. People in grief should be able to feel, be around people who are feeling like them, be able to receive comfort and also, be able to give comfort. A funeral director has a team of people who are quiet, discreet and know how to read a room. They make the arrangements and see that everything runs according to schedule, quietly in the background. They handle the small details well.
Pre-planning
If you really want to remove all the stress of funeral arrangements, and perhaps you are expecting someone to die soon, for example, an elderly parent, you can make pre-arrangements. Meet with the funeral services provider in advance and they will ask you everything that they need to know. This way, there is less stress involved when the inevitable time comes to require the services. Many people pre-plan and pre-pay for their funerals and it is not a macabre thing to do at all; rather, it is something that shows you are in touch and in tune with death, in the way that death should be spoken about. Pre-planning a funeral is a good idea and for some is the greatest gift they can give their family.
Use local funeral services
Most places are not over-saturated with funeral services, so use the local funeral services or funeral director who has a good reputation and who has been in business for a long time. You can get a feel for a funeral service provider or undertaker by looking at their website and then having a meeting, online if you prefer not to go in. The funeral service provider will make it easy for you as they will guide you and support you, giving you options and leading you all the way.
Get recommendations online if you need and use funeral directors near you if you are in the neighbourhood and need support.
Written by Health Contributor Clara Christopher
