The Cremation Process

2015 was the first year more people chose cremation than traditional burial for final disposition. In fact, the National Funeral Director’s Association predicts the national cremation rate to climb above 70% by the year 2030. Whether it’s cost considerations, flexibility, less religious constraints, or changing family preferences, there are many reasons families are choosing cremation.

More than half of the families who choose cremation decide to celebrate or commemorate their loved one in some manner.  Some religious institutions require the ashes be present at the service. Other times due to the nature of the service, the family needs the ashes present (such as scattering or burying the ashes at the time of the service).

One concern we’ve experienced from families as a cremation provider is the availability of the ashes. A lot of individuals who’ve never previously arranged for a funeral  aren’t aware Florida has a few laws regarding when the cremation can take place. Some families are under the misconception the cremation can be performed immediately after the death occurs. This is not the case and your local Crematory has to abide by these laws before they’re allowed to move forward. Your funeral director should communicate this to the respective family as soon as possible so memorial services can be scheduled accordingly.

  1. Florida law requires a mandatory 48 hour waiting period from the time of death.
  2. A death certificate must be signed by the deceased’s primary care or certifying physician.
  3. The Medical Examiner has to review the cause of death certified by the physician and approve the cremation.
  4. The funeral home now has approval to cremate and the Crematory can move forward.

It’s important to keep in mind, if a death happens on a Friday, the Doctor and Medical Examiner’s office is most likely closed on the weekend and major holidays. If this is the case, the death certificate will not reach them till the next business day.

Are Jewish Burials The Same As Green Burials?

Saving energy, recycling and conserving natural resources is becoming a way of life; It has to be! You see it everywhere these days… But I never thought it would affect was death care industry. But if you do a little research; history and religion tell you it’s not a new concept at all…..And Judaism as been practicing it since the beginning of time.

Green burials may not quite be on the rise or ever become as popular as cremation but it definitely has a lot of people’s attention. In fact, statistics show more people are becoming interested in a greener burial method. In 2015, 64 percent of adults 40 and older said they would be interested in green funeral options — options designed to have a lower impact on the environment, such as using biodegradable caskets and less chemicals in preparing the body for burial. That’s up from 43 percent in 2010, according to the Funeral and Memorial Information Council’s “Study of American Attitudes Toward Ritualization and Memorialization,” released in 2015.

What is a green burial?? Think no embalming; a biodegradable casket (made of wood, straw, etc.) or shroud and nothing preventing the body from decomposing naturally (such as a concrete vault or protective metal casket). The goal is to not pollute the earth with certain embalming chemicals, concretes and metals. And while Jewish burial practices are recognized for religious purposes, the requirements are the same.

Jewish religion prohibits embalming. The blood is considered part of the body and is to be buried with the deceased. A simple wooden casket and cotton or linen burial garments are utilized. A soft wood such as pine is preferred because it decomposes more rapidly. The casket is constructed without the use of any metal. And finally, placing the casket in direct contact with the earth is an important part of the  “dust to dust” cycle.

If you think about the three main elements involved in a Jewish burial, it sounds very much like the “green burial” trend. The only difference is the reasoning behind the two. So if you’re interested in green burial options and not sure if your town has any green cemeteries, ask your funeral director about simply following Jewish burial traditions. While most cemeteries aren’t classified as “green cemeteries,” almost all can accommodate Jewish burials.

Notify these organizations when a death occurs…

  1. Social Security Administration by calling 1-800-772-1213. Your funeral home will make the initial contact with SSA. When the death certificate is entered, the SSN has to pass. A surviving spouse or dependent child is entitled to a $255 death benefit.
  2. Banks. Accounts may be held jointly but you still need to notify each institution and bring a certified death certificate.
  3. The deceased’s employer
  4. The Department of Motor Vehicles
  5. Issuer’s of credit cards or charge accounts
  6. Life Insurance Companies. You will need to request a claim form and provide a death certificate (with cause of death). Some funeral home’s may take an assignment on the policy and do this on your behalf.
  7. Title holders to mortgages. Remember if jointly held you’re still responsible for payments.
  8. Veteran’s Administration. Each honorably discharged veteran is entitled to a flag, headstone and free burial in a national cemetery. The Veteran’s spouse and dependent children are allowed to be interred in the national cemetery also. Please provide your funeral home with form DD-214. Burial benefits may apply is the deceased veteran was in receipt of a VA pension; died in a VA hospital; or was in receipt of compensation for a service connected disability.

Facebook and Obituaries Meet!

An obituary by definition is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person’s life and information about the upcoming funeral. In the past, obituaries cost a family nothing as it was (and remains to be) the most read section in the newspaper. So if these notices of death are so relevant concerning local news, why do they cost so much? While I don’t have a good answer for you, I may have an alternative solution a lot of families are taking advantage of….Facebook!

Whether we admit it or not, Facebook is becoming part of our daily routine. Where people used to go strait to the local newspaper to accompany their morning coffee, we’re now holding smart phones and scrolling through Facebook. And before you say Facebook is only for young people, statistically, the largest active age group on Facebook is ages 35-54; making up 31% (56 million people) of users. Even at 55+, there are an astounding 28 million Facebooker’s! So yes, there’s a good chance Grandma’s on Facebook right now 🙂 And as we connect with people all over the country, our news is fed to us faster through social media—even obituaries!

So here’s the greatness of it….We’ve had a company Facebook page for sometime but just recently started sharing obituaries on our company page. We show the family how to find and share their loved one’s obituary through our website or Facebook page. Some families cannot spend hundreds of dollars to publish an obituary in the local newspaper. However, if your funeral home has a Facebook page, they can post it at no charge.

Worried it will not reach enough people??  For a few bucks, your funeral home can “boost” an obituary post and reach a few thousand people. You can even geo target who you want to view the post by location, age, etc. So next time you’re faced with a very large obituary charge, ask your funeral home about sharing it on social media.