A funeral home and its staff play a critical role in planning and carrying out a meaningful funeral.
Knowledge & Experience
Licensed funeral directors are intimately familiar with the funeral planning process and the decisions a grieving family must make. Funeral directors have the knowledge and experience to help families understand the options available to them, to explain the value of different product features and to help create highly personalized, meaningful tributes.
Coordination & Planning
They provide value in a variety of ways before and after the service – arranging for removal of the body, obtaining required legal documents, preparing a loved one for viewing, planning the service, arranging for final disposition, providing facilities for the visitation and funeral service, and transporting the deceased and mourners to the final resting place.
Understanding Your Needs
Keep in mind that the funeral you have is essentially a statement your family makes to the community at large: “Someone precious to us has died. We are in grief and invite you to join us in remembering a life and supporting each other.” Your local funeral professional can handle the details and help you create a unique service that fits your needs and values.
Grief Support & Healing
Funeral Directors have been trained to help families through the grief process and can do so in an environment that is conducive to healing. They can guide you through the entire process, explain all of your options and help you to make decisions that help start the healing process. In a time of distress, they can be a voice of compassion and reason.
This article is a contribution of Dr. Alan Wolfelt, who has been recognized as one of North America’s leading death educators and grief counselors. His books have sold more than a million copies worldwide and have been translated into many languages. Well respected for his inspiring teaching ability, Dr. Wolfelt is a past recipient of the Association for Death Education Death Educator Award. He is known around the world for his compassionate messages of hope and healing as well as his companioning philosophy of grief care.
