Page 25 - O'Shea Funeral Guide
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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
O’Shea Funeral Homes - Page 25
