FUNERAL HOMES

How to choose one to suit your family

Funeral homes are an important key in the grieving process, as choosing the right one can help make a difficult and emotional time easier for you and your family in your time of need.

Funeral homes are big business in the United States, with more than 21,000 of them dotted across the countryside, conducting on in excess of 2,000,000 funerals between them a year. And of those businesses, 89% of them are family-run businesses, with the company having been in the families for an average of 66 years.

When someone passes away, decisions have to be made quickly – for example which funeral home to use. While there is no set rule on how to choose a funeral home to suit your family, here are some tips for making that decision. If your family has never had to deal with a funeral home before, ask around your neighbors and friends – they may be able to recommend a provider and word of mouth is often the best reference for a home.

For those who prefer the convenience of nearby local facilities, using the funeral care professional in the local neighborhood is also an option.

And while choosing which home you use has to be made with relative haste, it is still important to shop around to get a good price. Funerals are one the biggest purchases made by consumers (with the average one costing around $6,500), so if you are consumed with grief, get a friend to phone around and obtain prices for you.

Funeral homes are governed by strict laws that stipulate a range of regulations. For example, they must give out prices over the phone, and they must also provide a General Price List, Casket Price List and Outer Burial Container Price List (which all outline the cost of their services) to all customers that present themselves on the premises.

Many offer package deals that cover the entire contents of a funeral, saving on the total overall cost of buying all the products separately. This is great if convenience is the key to organizing the funeral. Whereas it may be cheaper to shop elsewhere for a casket and other services as funeral homes have a substantial mark-up on all their caskets. Note that a home may not charge an extra handling fee (or any other fee along the same lines of that) if you supply your own casket.

Remember that a funeral director is there to help you through your time of crisis, and should be there to put you at ease with all the funeral arrangements. Make sure you feel comfortable with the provider you choose and that you feel they understand your needs and can be compassionate, professional and caring towards your requirements.

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Funerals