Hi everyone, my name is AnaMae Merton. I recently lost my birth parents during a heavy storm. Their deaths left me reeling, though we were not very close. Furthermore, I was the only surviving kin, so it was my job to arrange the funerals for both of them. The funeral arrangement process was incredibly difficult without knowing much about their personalities or passions. I struggled to find the best songs, outfits, caskets, burial sites and flowers. Luckily, the funeral director helped me identify suitable options for my birth parents' funerals. I hope to help people understand all of the different funeral arrangement options available today. Please visit my site anytime to learn more.
-
The Role of Funeral Homes in Easing the Passing of Loved Ones 13 October 2023
-
You Must Answer These Two Burial Questions 27 October 2022
-
3 Benefits To Choosing Cremation Over Burial 11 August 2022
Learning All About Funeral Arrangement Options
Come To A Consensus On These Topics When A Parent Is Gravely Ill
Christine Fleming
Funeral arrangements might be the last thing on your mind when you rush to the hospital to sit at the bedside of a gravely ill parent, but it's an important topic to begin to consider. Unless your parent has preplanned his or her arrangements, you and your siblings will be taking care of things — and it could be a matter of days or even hours until it's necessary to plan a funeral. Even though this is an emotional time, it's helpful for you and your siblings to come to a consensus on a number of topics now. Here are some things to discuss, perhaps even as you gather at the hospital.
The Funeral Home
There's perhaps no bigger decision than thinking about which funeral home you'll use. This is the first thing to consider, because when your parent passes away, you'll need to call the home. If you're in a small town with just a couple options for funeral homes, your decision will be simpler. In larger cities with multiple choices, one of you could call a few homes to ask a few questions, and then relay this information to each of the siblings to help everyone collectively choose which funeral home you'll do business with.
The Nature Of The Service
While you don't specifically need to plan the funeral service right now, you should begin to discuss the type of service you'll organize. A gravely ill parent may not be able to provide his or her input, so think about what he or she might want, while also evaluating what works for you as a family. For example, if your parent was a quiet person with few friends, a small service or perhaps even a private, invite-only one can suffice. Alternatively, a bigger service with several guest speakers is often ideal for someone who had a prominent role in the community.
Who Does What
If you have a couple of siblings, a big advantage to this trying time is that you can divide several of the funeral-related tasks to get things done quickly. Additionally, the division of the work means that one single person isn't unfairly burdened. While calling a funeral home like Fletcher Funeral Home PA after your parent's death is an important step, other immediate priorities include alerting close family members, answering questions that the funeral home's director will pose about preparing for the service, and more. It may seem difficult to talk about these matters when your parent is still alive, but if he or she is gravely ill and the attending doctor suggests that death is imminent, you'll make things easier by going over the above.
Share