Making Good Decisions While Grieving

If you are planning a funeral for a loved one and you have decided to go with cremation services, you will want to keep reading. Many people do not have a lot of experience with such services and what happens in crematories. To help make sure that you have the knowledge you need, you will want to review the following:

Cremation Doesn't Happen Right Away

While you can plan and hold a service or memorial for your deceased loved one within days of their passing, the actual cremation of their body usually does not usually happen right away. There are many reasons for the slight delay, including waiting for the death certificate and the cremation permit. The county office is usually the one that provides the permit that gives permission for the cremation to take place. If there is any suspicion regarding the cause of death, the cremation may not take place for a while. Also, if the body has to travel over state lines or from a far distance, arranging such transportation can also be the cause of a slight delay.

Consider What You Want Removed

Some people will want personal items kept with the deceased and simply added to the ashes for the urn. Others may want jewelry to be passed down through the family, so such items can be removed before the cremation. Things like gold teeth can be extracted, but you will need to make arrangements for a dentist to do this if the crematory does not have someone qualified to do it.

Know that devices such as pacemakers must be removed before cremation happens. You can opt to have the pacemaker disposed of or it can be cleaned and given back to the family. If the pacemaker were to be left in the body, the battery within the device will explode due to the extremely hot temperatures.

The Casket Is Not Used

Too many people make the assumption that they still need to purchase a casket for cremation. This is not needed because a special cremation container is used. If you would like to have a viewing, you can typically rent a casket from the funeral home. Once the cremation is complete and you have received the ashes, you can purchase a lovely urn to store them in.

Now that you have a better understanding of what needs to take place, why there might be delays, and the requests that you can make, you can continue with the planning process. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always reach out to the director of the funeral home you will be using. Contact local crematories to learn more.