What
purpose does a funeral serve?
It is the customary way to recognize death and its finality. Funerals
are recognized rituals for the living to show respect for the dead and
to help survivors begin the grief process.
What
do funeral directors do?
Funeral directors are caregivers and administrators. They make the
arrangements for transportation of the body, complete all necessary
paperwork, and implement the choices made by the family regarding the
funeral and final disposition of the body.
Funeral directors are listeners, advisors and supporters. They have
experience assisting the bereaved in coping with death. Funeral directors
are trained to answer questions about grief, recognize when a person
is having difficulty coping, and recommend sources of professional
help. Funeral directors also link survivors with support groups at
the funeral home or in the community.
Do
you have to have a funeral director to bury the
dead?
In most states, family members may bury their own dead although regulations
vary. However, most people find it very trying to be solely responsible
for arranging the details and legal matters surrounding a death.
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. Viewing is encouraged
for children, as long as the process is explained and the activity
voluntary.
What
is the purpose of embalming?
Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body, retards the decomposition
process, and enhances the appearance of a body disfigured by traumatic
death or illness. Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time
between death and the final disposition, thus allowing family members
time to arrange and participate in the type of service most comforting
to them.
Does
a dead body have to be embalmed, according to
law?
No. Most states, however, require embalming when death was caused by
a reportable contagious disease or when remains are to be transported
from one state to another by common carrier or if final disposition
is not to be made within a prescribed number of hours.
Isn't
burial space becoming scarce?
While it is true some metropolitan areas have limited available cemetery
space, in most areas of the country, there is enough space set aside
for the next 50 years without creating new cemeteries. In addition,
land available for new cemeteries is more than adequate, especially
with the increase in entombment and multi-level grave burial.
Is
cremation a substitute for a funeral?
No. Cremation is an alternative to earth burial or entombment for the
body's final disposition and often follows a traditional funeral service.
In fact, according to FTC figures for 1987, direct cremation occurred
in only 3% of deaths.
Is
it possible to have a traditional funeral if
someone dies of AIDS?
Yes. A person who dies of an AIDS-related illness is entitled to the
same service options afforded to anyone else. If public viewing is
consistent with local or personal customs, that option is encouraged.
Touching the deceased's face or hands is perfectly safe.
Because the grief experienced by survivors may include a variety of
feelings, survivors may need even more support than survivors of non-AIDS-related
deaths.
How
much does a funeral cost?
In 1998, the charge for an adult, full-service funeral was $5,020.
This price includes a professional service charge, transfer-of remains,
embalming, other preparation, use of viewing facilities, use of facilities
for ceremony, hearse, limousine, and casket. The casket included in
this price was an 18-gauge steel casket with velvet interior which
may or may not be the most common casket chosen. Vault, cemetery, and
monument charges are additional.
(Source: 1999 NFDA Survey of Funeral Home Operations)
The National
Funeral Directors Association has a number of resources available
with funeral cost statistics and information.
Has
this cost increased significantly?
Funeral costs have increased no faster than the consumer price index
for other consumer items.
Why
are funerals so expensive?
When compared to other major life cycle events, like births and weddings,
funerals are not expensive. A wedding costs at least three times as
much; but because it is a happy event, wedding costs are rarely criticized.
A funeral home is a 24-hour, labor-intensive business, with extensive
facilities (viewing rooms, chapels, limousines, hearses, etc.); these
expenses must be factored into the cost of a funeral. Moreover, the
cost of a funeral includes not only merchandise, like caskets, but
the services of a funeral director in making arrangements; filing appropriate
forms; dealing with doctors, ministers, florists, newspapers and others;
and seeing to all the necessary details.
Contrary to popular belief, funeral homes are largely family-owned
with a modest profit margin. The average statistics below may be helpful
in assessing the true economic picture of a funeral home:
85% Family-owned
Firm in business for 63 years
167 average calls/year
BEFORE tax profit 11.3%
(Source: 1995 NFDA Survey of Funeral Home Operations)
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, you may call 800-662-7666).
Do
funeral directors take advantage of the bereaved?
Funeral directors are caring individuals who help people deal with
a very stressful time. They serve the same families 80% of the time,
and many have spent most of their lives in the same community. If they
took advantage of bereaved families, they could not stay in business.
The fact that the average funeral home has been in business over 59
years shows that most funeral directors respect the wishes of the bereaved
families.
Is
it right to make a profit from death?
Funeral directors look upon their profession as a service, but it is
also a business. Like any business, funeral homes must make a profit
to exist. As long as the profit is reasonable and the services rendered
are necessary, complete, and satisfactory to the family, profit is
legitimate.
Don't
funeral directors mark caskets up tremendously,
at least 400%?
No. Talking about the mark up on caskets is really not the point. Most
items - clothing, furniture, jewelry - are marked up as much or more
than caskets. The real question is whether the funeral director is
making an excessive profit, and that answer is "No." Profits run around
12.5% before taxes - not excessive by any standard.
Who
pays for funerals for the indigent?
Other than the family, there are veteran, union, and other organizational
benefits to pay for funerals, including, in certain instances, a lump
sum death payment from Social Security. In most states, some form of
public aid allowances are available from either the state, county,
or city or a combination. Most funeral directors are aware of the various
benefits and know how to obtain them for the indigent. However, funeral
directors often absorb costs above and beyond what is provided by agencies
to insure the deceased a respectable burial.
What
should I do if the death occurs in the middle
of the night or on the weekend?
Most Funeral Directors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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. They
will come when your time is right.
If
a loved one dies out of state , can the local
Funeral Home still help?
Yes, they can assist you with out-of-state arrangements, either to
transfer the remains to another state or from another state.
So,
I've decided on cremation. Can I still have a
funeral or a viewing?
Yes, quite often some sort of viewing precedes the actual cremation.
Your Funeral Home can assist you with the necessary information for
a funeral with a cremation following or a memorial service.
What
government agencies help defray final expenses?
Usually, Funeral Directors will help gather the necessary information
to apply for financial assistance from Social
Security, Veteran's
Affairs, retirements, and any others.
