Planning and organising the funeral of a loved one or family member is difficult and challenging enough. But having to deal with various paperwork and legal protocols whilst still grappling with someone’s death can be seemingly impossible – overwhelming perhaps – is emotionally draining. But you still have to do it, and you want to make sure at the same time that everything is arranged in the best possible way and everyone can be reasonably happy with the arrangements you have made.
It is fortunate then, that you don’t have to do it alone. You can seek help from a professional and highly qualified and experienced person – a funeral director. Funeral directors can provide you with the precise service you need during a truly trying time. They can even provide you with emotional support to help you get through the funeral in a less stressful way. But what can you expect from a funeral director? How can they help you?
Let’s find out.
What they can do
With the appropriate funeral director, you can be sure that the entire process will run smoothly and without any major hassles or hitches. A funeral director can, for instance, provide services that remove the deceased from their place of death or another location such as a hospital, and they can arrange to have the deceased taken care of and prepared leading up to the day of their cremation or burial. They can also help plan and organise the ceremony or service and supply you with coffin bearers when necessary, as confirmed by the experienced funeral directors in Leeds firm Carroll & Carroll Independent Funeral Services. The funeral director can also deal with the paperwork and documentation required for either the burial or cremation, and they can arrange everything so that it happens seamlessly in the right location and with the proper people.
A funeral director service would also often include the services of a funeral arranger, a person who meets those who visit the deceased and explains the available choices for funeral arrangements. They will also be in charge of dealing with various other paperwork as well as telephone calls.
How to choose one
When you are looking for a funeral director, it’s important to select one with whom you feel comfortable. This is a difficult phase for sure, but it may be worth calling or contacting a minimum of two funeral director services so you can more easily compare their services. Of course, it may be easier to speak with a potential funeral director over the telephone during this time, but keep this in mind as well; you don’t have to choose the first one you speak with or the one who has been recommended by a care home, hospital or other third party.
You can make your own particular choice based on your specific needs and circumstances, as well as your budget. But if possible, select a director who is a member of the NAFD (National Association of Funeral Directors) or the SAIF (National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors), so you are sure that they will follow specific codes of conduct and practice, and if you ever have any complaints (which is unlikely, if you choose wisely), you can have these associations’ support.
