When the sad moment arrives in your life and you need to make funeral arrangements for your loved one, how do you find the best funeral service?

There are three questions to ask a funeral director to help you sort out which funeral home to choose.

The first question to ask is what services can be provided. How much assistance is provided with completing all the paperwork? Do they contact the doctor or hospital, the florist, and write the obituary to put in the newspapers so the public is informed of the death and knows about the arrangements. The funeral director will also provide the funeral directors statement of death and will contact any friends and relatives you may wish to notify of the death. He may also contact the clergy or a celebrant to co-ordinate the details of the funeral service or memorial service. Information about any local support groups which may be of help at this time, can also be supplied by the funeral director.

You should use the funeral director's expertise to take care of the body and have them take it into their care. You should ask what options there are for interment. These include earth burial, which will require a burial plot and probably a headstone or do you want to cremate and deal with the cremated remains yourself?  The ashes will be placed in an urn and then afterwards disposed of in a way that has been chosen by the deceased or family. The ashes may be scattered in a designated part of the cemetery or taken away and placed or spread in a favourite place of the deceased.

Second, it is important to find out about the fees. Details of the cost of the services provided should be provided by the funeral director, but there are a lot of details, so an accurate quote over the phone is very difficult. You need to sit down with the Funeral Director and go over the costs of all services, and have him explain each item to your satisfaction. Once you have decided on a basic idea for the funeral or memorial service the costs should then be supplied in writing. The Funeral Director will be able to inform you of government plans that assist in funeral costs and offer to help with the paperwork. If you are unaware of which funeral home to DISCUSS YOUR WISHES with you can approach provincial regulatory organizations for suggestions.

The last question to ask is, why you should use the services of this particular funeral home? When deciding which to choose, it is important to make the assessment based on the experience of the staff and the availability of support staff. Inquire whether ongoing training for professional development is provided for the staff at the funeral home and can they provide the personalized service you want. Are they helpful in letting you know about the optionsand types of services available. Are their facilities suitable for the guests you expect or will you have to have the service one place and the reception somewhere else?

This is a stressful time for anyone to go through, and the help of qualified and dedicated staff, at a caring funeral  home is a necessity. With the right support, many of the decisions can be made more easily, and the knowledge and expertise of the funeral director can make this sad time a little less stressful.