Immediately after a death, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and confused about what to do next. The first step is to call someone to come bring your loved one into their care. Click here to learn who to call.
When you are ready, call the funeral home to book a time to come in and make funeral arrangements.
When Should You Come In To Make Funeral Arrangements?
How soon you should come in to meet with the funeral director depends on the circumstances of the death, how soon you want to have a service and the preferences of your family.
If the death was sudden or unexpected, we recommend waiting at least 24 hours before coming in. You are in shock and need time to process what has happened before you start to make funeral arrangements. If the death is expected, you may be ready to come in sooner. You may come in ahead of time to start the process if you wish. This can ease the pressure of making decisions when your grief is fresh.
If you wish to have a service within a few days, you will need to come in as soon as possible. If you aren’t having a service, or are having a delayed service, you can wait longer. We recommend not waiting more than a week so that a resting place can be decided on for your loved one and they can rest with dignity.
Who Needs To Come To The Funeral Arrangement?
The person in charge must be at the appointment. If there is a will, the person in charge is the executor. If there is no will, the order of who is in charge is:
- The spouse or adult interdependent partner
- An adult child
- A parent or guardian
- An adult grandchild
- An adult brother or sister
- An adult nephew or niece
The person in charge is also responsible for paying for the funeral. Other people may come in with the person who is in charge to provide support and help with making decisions. However, too many people can cause difficulty while making decisions.
What Do You Need To Bring To A Funeral Arrangement?
When you come in to meet with a director, it is helpful to know the answers to a few questions.
- Do you want cremation or burial?
- Do you want a funeral service and, if so, do you have a general idea of how soon and where you would like to have it?
- Bring the information that is needed to register the death.
- After you contact us to set up an appointment, we will email you a list of information that is needed to register the death with Vital Statistics. Collect as much of this information as you can and bring it with you when you come to the funeral home. If you would like to have this information ready ahead of time, please contact us and we can send you the list.
The time between when a death occurs and the funeral service can feel overwhelming. We are here to help you with every step of the process and answer any questions you may have. If you would like more information, please give us a call or send us an email. There are also many resources available on our website.
780-532-2929
info@oliversfuneralhome.com
www.oliversfuneralhome.com
