Choosing a Funeral Director
May 27th, 2010
Funeral Directors
What is a funeral director and do you really need one?
In the state of New York, a funeral director is the only person who is legally empowered to handle any death arrangements. They must be licensed and registered with the state and must be present and personally supervise the burial or cremation as well as the transportation of a body. They must also complete the paperwork to be submitted to the registrar in which district the death occurred.
Not everyone can be a funeral director or a mortician. You need to have a degree in Mortuary Science from an accredited college by the American Board of Funeral Service Education. And in many states, you need to be involved in a continuing education program to ensure that the funeral director are well versed with the latest techniques and regulations. To perform embalming a funeral director need to be licensed to do so.
A Funeral Director handles all aspects of a funeral ceremony including procession
In the US, although individual states have their own regulations pertaining to licensing, generally at least an associate’s degree is required with examinations by the National Board Examination and state board examination and on top of that at least a year’s work as an apprentice.
A funeral director’s basic tasks include transporting the body, custodial care which include dressing, casketing and cosmetizing the body especially if there is going ot an open casket viewing, and may also involve embalming, and presentation of the body for viewing, burial or cremation and transfer of the body elsewhere if necessary. Besides that, a funeral director can advise you on the various services either offered by the funeral home itself or by a third party vendor.
He or she would also be able to help you with regards to cemetery requirements and burial permit, and specific religious rites.
Almost all of the paperwork involve would also be taken care by a funeral director. This would include claims for social security, veterans benefit, insurance and wills. Not forgetting permits, certificates and obituaries. The cemetery deed should be given to you by the funeral director within seven days of burial.
Other services that a funeral director can coordinate include arranging for a clergy, musicians, flowers and donations. A funeral director would also be able to advise you on the suitable burial vessel or container for cremation. However, it is illegal for him to pressure anyone to purchase certain services or goods that isn’t required by law.
A funeral director does not only coordinate the ceremonial arrangements and supervise the logistics of a funeral but they may also provide grief counseling for beloved survivors of the deceased. He is also the person whom you can go to for any advise in almost all aspects pertaining to the death of a loved one.
To engage a funeral director will help lessen the burden when you are at a time consumed with grief and where there seem to be so many decisions to make, procedures to follow and paperwork to fill out. It will also ensure a professional handling of all pertaining matters and you will fell much better knowing you did the best you can for a respectful and dignified final journey of your loved one.
