Page 25 - Oshea Funeral Guide Final
P. 25

and the funeral. A funeral home                          entombment         or    cremation.       The
            may require embalming for open                           choices will be meaningful to you and
            casket viewing during the funeral                        your family, and you will gain peace of
            process. It effectively protects funeral                 mind knowing your family and friends
            workers,  family  members and friends                    will be relieved of the emotional and
            alike from a wide range of potential                     financial burden often associated with
            hazards, and removes the unpleasant                      making arrangements when a death
            changes caused to the body by death.                     occurs.  If  pre-funding  your  funeral,
            Embalming is required when final                         some funeral homes guarantee their
            disposition is in another country.                       funeral home  charges,  while  others
            Funeral directors must adhere to the                     may not. If not a guaranteed trust
            requirements of the receiving country,                   account, the interest gained on the
            and  will  obtain  such  requirements                    trust account can offset the inflationary
            from the nearest local embassy of that                   pressures of the future.
            country.
                                                                     Are there different types of pre-need
            What options are available besides in                    arrangements?
            ground burial?                                           As opposed to at-need arrangements,
            Besides in ground burial, a family                       when the death has already occurred,
            may choose to have an entombment,                        there     are    several     reasons     why
            placing of the casket in an above                        families choose to make pre-need
            ground enclosure, or cremation.                          arrangements.  Often,  when  a  loved
                                                                     one is in a terminal state, and a family
            Can I still have a funeral service with                  is referred to a hospice care, pre-
            the body present if I chose cremation?                   need arrangements are made. Though
            Yes, cremation, as in burial or                          the reality of the impending loss is
            entombment is a form of final                            very difficult to adjust to, the funeral
            disposition. Cremation is very much a                    director will gently guide the family
            part of the traditional funeral process.                 in planning the funeral. A family in
            There may or may not be a wake, a                        this situation will have the option to
            funeral service is either in a place                     place the funds into a trust account at
            of worship or at the funeral home.                       this time. There are two types of trust
            Following the service, the deceased is                   accounts, irrevocable and revocable.
            taken to the place of final disposition,                 Both types of trust accounts can be
            the  crematory.  Some  families  will                    transferred from one funeral home to
            accompany the deceased to the                            another. Pre-need trust accounts in a
            crematory for a final committal, much                    majority of cases are irrevocable.
            as it is performed in a cemetery, while
            others choose not to. The cremated                       This is as a result of an individual
            remains become available to the                          requiring long term care, and is at
            family on average 3 to 5 days following                  the point of applying for Medicaid
            cremation.                                               coverage. The trust account can be
                                                                     transferred  to  another  funeral  home,
            Why should I pre-arrange my funeral                      but can never be revoked. A certified
            or burial?                                               death certificate of the beneficiary
            When you plan ahead, you will be                         is the only way the funds can be
            able to consider the many options                        obtained.  A  prudent  individual,  not
            available. The opportunity will be                       needing Medicaid, can also establish a
            there to make an informed decision                       pre- need arrangement and place the
            about the funeral, the type of service                   funds into a revocable trust account
            and final disposition of burial,                         for  themselves  or  another family
                                                                     member. A revocable trust account can
                                                                     also be transferred to another funeral




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