Have a Question? We have selected some common questions concerning Funeral, Burial and what to do when death ocours. We hope you find the answers you need. If not please give us a call we will be glad to help you with any concern. What is the purpose of a funeral? Funerals fill an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one. By providing surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive environment in which to share thoughts and feelings about the death, funerals are the first step in the healing process. The ritual of attending a funeral service provides many benefits including: - Providing a social support system for the bereaved. - Helping the bereaved understand death is final and that death is a part of life. - Integrating the bereaved back into the community. - Easing the transition to a new life after the death of a loved one. - Providing a safe haven for embracing and expressing pain. - Reaffirming one's relationship with the person who died. - Providing a time to say good-bye. It is possible to have a full funeral service even for those choosing cremation. The importance of the ritual is in providing a social gathering to help the bereaved begin the healing process.
I've never arranged a funeral before. What do I need to know? At some time in our lives, most of us will make or assist in making funeral arrangements. This will not be an easy time, but we offer these tips for smart planning: - Be an informed consumer and ask questions. - Choose an independent funeral home and a licensed funeral director. - Discuss all service and payment options during the funeral arrangements. - Make sure you receive a copy of the funeral home's General Price List. - Be prepared and make decisions and organize details in advance of need. - Plan a personalized and meaningful ceremony to help you begin healing.
What do funeral directors do? Funeral directors are licensed professionals with specific education and training. During your time of need, funeral directors will: - Arrange the funeral plans. - Help notify friends and family. - Secure necessary permits and death certificates. - Take care of the body. - Coordinate all details with the clergy. - Help in the arranging for burial or cremation. - Notify your attorney if you need legal help. - Help secure any benefits to which you may be entitled. - Follow up after the funeral, providing both pratical help in adjusting to your loss. What types of funeral services exist? Every family is different, and not everyone wants the same type of funeral. Funeral practices are influenced by religious and cultural traditions, costs and personal preferences. These factors help determine whether the funeral will be elaborate or simple, public or private, religious or secular, and where it will be held. They also influence whether the body will be present at the funeral, if there will be a viewing or visitation, and if so, whether the casket will be open or closed, and whether the remains will be buried or cremated. 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. Embalming Questions What is the purpose of embalming? Embalming is the funeral custom of cleansing and disinfecting bodies after death. As far back as the ancient Egyptians, people have used oils, herbs and special body preparations to help preserve the bodies of their dead. Yet no process or products have been devised to preserve a body in the grave indefinitely, and the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule prohibits funeral providers from telling consumers that it can be done. For example, funeral providers may not claim that either embalming or a particular type of casket will preserve the body of the deceased for an unlimited time. In practice since ancient Egypt, embalming is most often done by using chemical substances. We use embalming today for two primary reasons--to allow adequate time between death and burial to observe social customs such as visitations and funeral services, and to prevent the spread of infection. Cosmetic work is often used for aesthetic reasons. Does a dead body have to be embalmed according to law? The Federal Trade Commission has included statements about embalming in the Funeral Rule, which guides funeral service providers in offering services and products to consumers. The Funeral Rule statement on embalming requires funeral service providers to inform consumers that the law does not require embalming (unless in a specific special case when it does). The language the FTC requires says: "Except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law. Embalming may be necessary, however, if you select certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing. If you do not want embalming, you usually have the right to choose an arrangement that does not require you to pay for it, such as direct cremation or immediate burial." Cremation Questions Is cremation a substitute for a funeral? As more people are choosing cremation, funeral service professionals are striving to give consumers a true sense of what their many options are for a funeral service. Often funeral directors find that people have a preconception that they have fewer choices for a ceremony when selecting cremation for themselves or a loved one. Therefore, they request direct cremation and deny the surviving friends and family an opportunity to honor them with a memorial service. In actuality, cremation is only part of the commemorative experience. In fact, cremation can actually increase your options when planning a funeral. Cremation gives people the flexibility to search for types of tributes that reflect the life being honored. But this doesn't mean that aspects of traditional funeral services have to be discarded. Even with cremation, a meaningful memorial that is personalized to reflect the life of the deceased could include: - A visitation prior to the service. - An open or closed casket. - Special music. - A ceremony at the funeral chapel, your place of worship or other special location. - Participation by friends and family. Commonly, cremated remains are placed in an urn and committed to an indoor or outdoor mausoleum or columbarium; interred in a family burial plot; or included in a special urn garden. Cremation also gives families the option to scatter the remains. This can be done in a designated cemetery garden or at a place that was special to the person. Today, cremated remains can even become part of an ocean reef or made into diamonds. Where can I get more information on cremation? We can assist you with the necessary information for a funeral or memorial service with a cremation. For more technical information about the cremation process, we encourage you to view information on-line at the National Funeral Directors Association. Funeral Cost Questions What does the average funeral cost? According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the average cost of a funeral as of July 2004, is $6,500. That cost includes an outer burial container, but does not include cemetery costs or other third party charges such as flowers, burial clothing, or newspaper notices. What recourse does a consumer have for poor service or overcharging? Funeral service is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission 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). What to do if Death Occurs What should I do if the death occurs in the middle of the night or on the weekend? When death occurs, Hardy & Son Funeral Homes personnel are available to assist you at any hour, seven days a week. Call (270) 842-3230 or any of our locations listed on our contact us page for assistance. 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. Hardy and son staff will come when your time is right. If a loved one dies out of state, can Hardy and Son Funeral Homes still help? When death occurs away from home, Hardy and Son Funeral Homes can assist you with out-of-state arrangements and transfer of the deceased to Kentucky or another preferred location. Call (270) 842-3230 or any of our locations for assistance. What to Do When Death Occurs When a death occurs in your family, you will be faced with important tasks and decision-making during a very difficult time. You may not know what to do or when to begin making arrangements, and bearing the responsibility can be overwhelming. Remember that you are not alone: Hardy and Son Funeral Homes is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to assist you with the details and offer our guidance. We have compiled the following list to help guide you through the steps you will need to take when a death has occurred. Your funeral director will help coordinate all of the details when you meet for an arrangement conference. 1) After a death has occurred, notify Hardy and Son Funeral Homes by calling (270) 842-3230 or any of our locations. The following are some questions that we may ask when you call: - What is the full name of the deceased? - What is the location of the deceased? (Hospital, Nursing Facility orResidence)? - What is your name, address and telephone number? - What is the name, address and phone number of the next-of-kin? - Is there a pre-arranged funeral plan? (If yes, what is the plan name or number?) We will then set an appointment time for you to come to the funeral home to complete the details of the funeral arrangement. We will ask you to bring in some items and information that will be necessary to complete the arrangement. These items will include: - Clothing for the deceased. - Social security number of the deceased. - The deceased's birth date and city and state of birth. - The deceased's parents names, including mother's maiden name. - Information about the deceased's education. - Marital status of the deceased. - Veteran's discharge papers or Claim Number. - A recent photograph of the deceased. - Pre-arrangement paperwork (if applicable). - Cemetery lot information (if applicable) 2) Contact your clergy. Decide on a time and place for the funeral or memorial service (the services may be held at the funeral home). 3) The funeral home will assist you in determining the number of copies of the death certificates that you will need and will order them for you. 4) Make a list of family, friends and business colleagues, and notify each by phone. You may wish to use a "branching" system: make a few phone calls to other relatives or friends and ask each of them to make a phone call or two to specific people. 5) Decide on an appropriate charity to which gifts may be made (church, hospice, library, organization, school). 6) Gather obituary information, including a photo, age, place of birth, cause of death, occupation, college degrees, memberships held, military service, outstanding work and a list of survivors in the immediate family. Include the time and place of the funeral services. The funeral home will usually write the obituary and submit it to the newspaper(s). 7) Arrange for family members and/or close friends to take turns answering the door or phone. Keeping a careful record of visitors and flower deliveries will make it easier to thank people later on. 8) If Social Security checks are deposited automatically, notify the bank of the death. 9) Coordinate the food supply in your home for the next several days. 10) Delegate special needs of the household, such as cleaning, food preparation, etc., to friends and family who offer their help. 11) Arrange for child care, if necessary. 12) Arrange hospitality for visiting relatives and friends. 13) Select pallbearers and notify the funeral home. (People with heart or back difficulties may be named honorary pallbearers). 14) Plan for the disposition of flowers after the funeral (to a church, hospital or rest home). 15) Prepare a list of distant friends and relatives to be notified by letter and/or printed notice. 16) Prepare a list of people to receive acknowledgments of flowers, calls, etc. Send appropriate acknowledgments, which may be a written note, printed acknowledgments, or both. Include "thank yous" to those who have given their time, as well. 17) Notify insurance companies of the death. 18) Locate the will and notify the lawyer and executor. 19) Carefully check all life and casualty insurance and death benefits, including Social Security, credit union, trade union, fraternal, and military. Check on possible income for survivors from these sources. 20) Check promptly on all debts and installment payments, including credit cards. Some may carry insurance clauses that will cancel them. If there is to be a delay in meeting payments, consult with creditors and ask for more time before the payments are due. 21) If the deceased was living alone, notify the utility companies and landlord and tell the post office where to send the mail. 22) Your Funeral Director will prepare the necessary Social Security forms. We hope you find these helpful in your time of need. If there is anything else we might do for you please let us. Hardy and Son Funeral Homes, Inc. (270) 842-3230 or any of our locations. Thank You for visiting us Online!
