Exam 4

those funeral arrangments made in advance of need that includes provisions for funding or pre-payment

those funeral arrangments made in advance do not need provisions for funding or pre-payment

is one in which the contract may be terminated by the Purchaser at any time prior to death of the beneficiary with a refund of the funds of the contract as prescribed by law.

is one which the contract cannot be terminated or canceled prior to the death of the benificary.

is one where the funeral gurantees that the services and merchandise will be provided at the time of need for an amount not exceeding the original amount of the contract plus any accruals, regardless of the cost of providing the service and merchandise at the time of the funeral.

is one in which the funeral home only agrees that the amount repaid plus any accruals will be credited to the balance due.

• Immediate Payment; when arrangements are made
• Insurance Assignment
• Credit Card
• Financial Institution Loan
• Wait Until the Estate is Settled
• Installment plan

a scheduled time when the deceased is presented for viewing in a casket so that family and friends may come together in an enviroment of mutual support to pay their last respects to the deceased.

• Flowers
• Register book
• Prayer cards
• Newspaper
• Donation Envelope
• Sign Board
• Music

arrange & display any flowers that have been delivered for the deceased.

at most visitations, a register book will be available for people to sign their name

before putting the prayer cards on display, check to see that the information printed on the cards is correct and then place the cards on the register stand or nearby table.

the newspaper death notice & or obituary should be checked to ensure accurate spelling of names, & that the date, time & location of the visitation, funeral & committal sevice are correct

If a charity has been listed in place of sending flowers, donation envelopes must be available & displayed

Many funeral homes are a signboard of some type with the name of the deceased & possibly the time & date of the service. The sign should be made up before the visitation begins & placed in a location where guests at the vistations can see it.

if the funeral home uses background music, it should be playing & the loudness adjusted to the preferred level.

• by the immediate next kin
• staff member should be in a visable position when family arrives
• immediately visible when mourners arrive can relieve fear & anxiety
• when family enters funeral home, staff member should walk up to them & introduce himself & express sympathy in hasn't already.
• you should ask, "will you be waiting for anyone else before you go in to see your mother?" if u think other family members have not yet arrived.
• walking into see their loved one dead for the first time is the hardest aspect of the funeral. Everyone reacts different
• resate to the family that you are there to help them during the time they are present & that u or another staff member will be near by

• children should be encouraged but no forced to attened the vistiation & funeral
• and be prepared first about what to expect
• parents should go into the viewing first, before the children enter the room & after their intial shock
• its best to bring a child for the first time, when there are not that many people, like before scheduled visitation hours.
• allowing closer & more intimate sharing w/ a child

• usually done after the family has had their private viewing together
• (check with the family first)
• usually begins 1 or 2 days prior to service depending on culture & funeral home policy
• example: some choose a shortened visitation of one or two hours prior to service
• Details: working position of staff members during visitation should be where people entering can see & where visitors can easily see the worker, possibly opening the door for those arriving
• if more then one visitation in the funeral home, ask vistors which family they are visting?
• Ideal way is to walk them to the visitation room they should be in, if this isn't possible, stand (if seated) use a hand gesture to point the direction & say something such as, "Mrs. Jones is in the Rose Room, first door on your right." Instead of saying, "go down the hallway & hand or make a right."
• remember it's not an intersection your not giving directions.

• def: the rights held at the time of disposition of human remains.
• details: each funeral home operates in its own way; developed because of differences from one region of the country to another, religious requirements, the personal style of the funeral director.
• it's necessary for funeral home staff to arrive at the funeral home before the family arrives. the average time needed will be approximately one to check the appearance of the deceased & make any adjustments such as cosmetics.
• The buidling should be checked for cleanliness & the temperature should be set at a comfortable setting. *if raining, umbrellas should be available
• The room being used for service should be properly prepared , chairs must be set up for service, make sure u have enough set out.
• example: 40 people in 80 chairs but not 80 people in 40 chairs.
• it takes time to set up additional chairs, provided there available & it would interrupt the flow of the service.

• on day of the funeral, the director should allow 5 to 10 min. to gather the pallbearers together & given them instructions.
• The funeral will run smoother the more they are informed on what is expected of them.
• There are 3 locations & times they they will be used.
• From the funeral home into the hearse.
• From the hearse into the church & from the church back into the hearse.
• From the hearse to the grave

At the Funeral Home-You will sit in an area reserved for you.When everyone except the immediate family has left the room, you will file past the casket & walk into the hallway.After family has lefted & casket is closed, the casket will be brought to you.As a group, you will lift casket & carry it into the hearse.

• At the Church- We arrive at the church, exit your cars & walk to the back of the hearse.
• The door will be open & you will lift the casket from hearse & carry it into the rear of the church.
• Then you will place the casket on to a moveable device, a church truck.
• You will roll the casket to the front of the church.
• You will be seated in pews reserved for you.
• You will lift the casket off the church truck & carry it into the hearse.

• At the Cemetery: You arrive at the cemetery, exit cars & walk to the rear of the hearse.
• You will remove the casket & carry it to the grave.
• When the grave is reached, you place the casket on a device that is located over the grave.
• You will stand together across from the family.

• You will sit in an area reserved for you.
• When everyone except the immediate family has left the room, you will file past the casket & walk into the hallway.
• After family has lefted & casket is closed, the casket will be brought to you.
• As a group, you will lift casket & carry it into the hearse.

We arrive at the church, exit your cars & walk to the back of the hearse.The door will be open & you will lift the casket from hearse & carry it into the rear of the church.Then you will place the casket on to a moveable device, a church truck.You will roll the casket to the front of the church.You will be seated in pews reserved for you.You will lift the casket off the church truck & carry it into the hearse.

You arrive at the cemetery, exit cars & walk to the rear of the hearse.You will remove the casket & carry it to the grave.When the grave is reached, you place the casket on a device that is located over the grave.You will stand together across from the family.

• if they are officiating at the service at the funeral home, there should be a private room available where he can gather his thoughts, talk with the family, & change into vestments.
• a clergy card should have been completed by the funeral home & given to the clergy when he arrives.
• (This card gives them information about the deceased it's also a proper time to give them there honorarium)

• *most families dont stay for the closing of the casket
• It's usually done after the family is gone by the funeral director, if the family requested that 1 or more people watch the closing, their request should be honored.
• The family should always be asked what is to be removed from the casket & what is to remain before the casket is taken away in the hearse, it should be dusted off & any fingerprints or marks should be removed.

• *some cities have requirements for funeral processions.
• May require that all cars have their lights on, or that a funeral flag or cone should be placed on each car.
• Funeral escorts are available from local police dept. or through private escort services, using 1 can increase the level of saftey of the procession as it goes through red lights.
• If honorary pallbearers or special group is attending, they go between the lead car & the hearse.

• 1. funeral home lead car w/ clergy
• 2. Clergy person if he is driving his own car
• 3. Pallbearers if they are driving together
• 4. Hearse
• 5. Closest family member's car, often it's a limo supplied by the funeral home; automobile/car list should be obtained from family prior service
• 6. cars as designated by the family

• After casket is in hearse & family & all guest are in their cars, the procession is saftely moved to the cemetary.
• The clergy performs his prayers & rituals for commital. After clergy is finished he turns it over to the Funeral Director & he may make a specific announcement to the group that the services have ended or assist the family back to their car.
• The FD may thank everyone for attending & make any anouncement that the family has instructed him to do.
• If the funeral home sold the vault, the FD may want to show it to the family & explain the procedure of the sealing of the vault.
• Someone from the funeral home should stay until the vault cover has been placed on the vault.

• def: offering services, literature, or emotional support to the bereaved
• After the funeral is over; as a means to help them adjust to their loss the FD will provide families w/ emotional support beyond the actual funeral service.
• It was once called "caring for you neighbors"
• Back when people lived in neighborhoods or communities where everyone knew everyone else by name or at least by sight.
• Today society is more mobile & american families are more geographically seperated than in the past.
• The FD or clergy are the only one's left to help after a death
• They produce grief support materials(books, newsletters, resource directories accessing trained caregivers, licensed therapist & outreach programs)
• Direct Care Services assist families by trained counselors or support groups, sponsoring grief recovery workshops, or holding special ceremonies during the holidays.
• Ex: death & grief-related programs like camps for children w/ grief & loss; tree planting ceremonies in rememberance of loved ones; classes for widows & widowers on managing finances & cooking for one.
• Most benefit emotionally & become able to cope w/ their loss, it provides a healthy outlet for grieving individuals.
• It also benefits the funeral home themselves, by FD receiving positive response & feedback for their concern & goodwill enhancing business & ties to the community.
• it's meant purely & simply to imply that the funeral does not end at the gravesite & the funerals are indeed for the living.
• Reaching out to families helps to reestablish their lives providing "service after the service"

• def: Funeral arrangements made in advance of need.
• 1 of the major growth areas in the funeral service throughout the country
• "firms that preneed act together will capture future market share today, & others will perish" Beebe '96

• 1. doing it yourself
• 2. hire an employee
• 3. outsourcing

• most americans consider themselves "religious" people, while only 50% of Americans belong to a church, synagogue or mosque & only 35% regularly attend worship services, most Americans prefer that a clergy person be present at funerals.
• there are some regions withing U.S. where secular services are becoming more prevalent still, to the average U.S. funeral director will share the responsibilities for the funeral or memorial service w/ the clergy in most cases.
• clergy-funeral director relations are important for all funeral service practitioners to understand & appreciate, FD's must keep good working relationship w/ the local clergy in order to be successful.
• Theological education did not train or teach clergy about funerals
• They aren't aware of what the funeral staff do for services, resulting in disagreements regarding casket placement, flowers, procession order, etc.
• Positive relations w/ clergy takes time, effort & a willingness to openly discuss issues.

• notification of clergy
• place of the service
• public viewing of the body (to open or close the casket?)
• Honoraria
• Funeral Costs

• a. retirement
• b. disability
• c. death

• a. Assit clients in securing benefits due to them
• b. indirectly to receive money due to you
• c. keep abreast of SS and VA changes
• 1. state & national funeral directors association
• 2. govermental offices

a) SSA-721

SSA-8

VA-21-530

VA-92-2008

VA-40-1330

DD1375

Lump sum death benefit surviving spouse

• Paid only to widow or widower of the insured worker for medical reason the spouse is living in a nursing home he or she is eligible for the benefit.
• If no surviving spouse may be paid to entitled child with these qualifications.
• 1. Unmarried and under 18 yrs of age, or 19 of a full-time student
• 2. The above and or a severely disabled child before reaching age 22 and is continuously disabled
• If there is no person meeting the above qualification then the lump sum death benefit will not be paid
• Generally, the application for death benefit must be filed with 2 years from the date of death

a vetern must have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable

$300.00

$750.00

$1500

$1500

Application for burial benefits

Pension

compensation

• paid from a VA facility to place of burial
• to a national cemetery that is nearest the vetern's home having space avaialbe

veternance who were entitled at the time of death to a pension or compensation payment.

veternas who died while hospitalized or domiciled in a VA facility or other facility at the VA expense

veterans who were discharged or retired from a service because of a disability which was incurred or aggraveted in the line of duty

in some poor veterans whose remains were unclaimed.

• honorably discharged
• wartime veteran or served after 1/13/1955
• served at least one enlistment during time or war released sooner because of a service connected disability

• VA facility
• local post office

• next of kin
• close friend
• associated to the deceased

• honorably discharged vetern of wartime or peacetime service and active cemetery
• if buried in a national cemetery, goverment furnishes a headstone without application

memorial marker

marker

no time limit (0)

they must be applied for within 2 years from the date of burial or final dispostion of remains

• the U.S. Goverment will provide for the care & disposition of deceased personnel of the Armed Forces dying while on active duty through contract funeral homes
• All braches of service are included & the benefits are the same for each branch.
• military authorities will in most cases arrange for these services within the allowed amounts by using a local contract funeral home.
• service include removal, embalming, preparation, & preservation, casket & transportation to a common carrier

• cremation
• suitable urn for cremains
• u.s. flag to drape casket
• transportation, including escort from the place of death to the place designated by the next of kin.
• transportation max be by hearse or commercial air cargo.
• military honors, if available, will be provided at the placeof interment if requested by the next of kin

$750.

$2140.

$75

1390