Tips for Planning a Funeral: What to Keep in Mind During the Worst of Times

Though it may not be the cheeriest topic, at one point or another in life, everyone has to deal with the death of a loved one. For those instances when you are the closest person to the deceased, there are many things you have to keep in mind during one of the worst times of your life, planning a funeral. If you're unable to think straight, here's a list of what will generally happen during the planning of a funeral.

When someone dies, a physician is the only person who can legally declare a person dead and fill out a death certificate. The body must then be removed quickly (usually within several hours) before decomposition begins. Just how this happens will depend on where the person died, whether in a hospital, at a nursing home, in the family home, in a public place or while traveling.

In a hospital, the on-duty or family physician will pronounce the person dead and fill out the death certificate. The funeral home of choice is contacted and the body is taken to the hospital morgue. At a nursing home, the same will happen if a physician is available; if not, the body is taken to the local hospital first. At home, a physician or the police will be called, and the body will either be picked up directly by the funeral home or taken to the morgue first to determine the cause of death, if it was unexpected. In a public place, the police should be called, then the body will be taken to a hospital before being picked up by the funeral home.

The next step is to determine what kind of funeral to have, whether it be a burial or cremation. Or, if desired by the deceased before their death, the body could be donated to medical science. This decision rests on both the wishes of the deceased and the desires of the survivors. To find a funeral home, first ask family or friends for advice; if they can't help, find a funeral home in the Yellow Pages. Cost of funerals range from a few hundred dollars for the most simplest funerals up to thousands of dollars for the most lavish.

Notifying people of the death and of funeral plans comes next. Immediately telephone family and close friends, and you may opt to send printed announcements to out-of-town friends. In addition, there are two types of newspaper notices available: the death notice and the obituary. The death notice is a paid item that includes the time, place and circumstances of death and the time and place of calling hours and services. Usually the death notice will also include instructions for sending flowers or sending monetary contributions in honor of the dead to a specific charity or other organization. The obituary is a news item, ran at the discretion of the newspaper, and includes further information about the deceased's background and immediate survivors.

Traditional funerals in the United States usually mean a burial, often preceded by calling hours, a service and/or a graveside ceremony. These events usually take two or three days. Cremation is another option and is considered a variation of the traditional funeral. Cremation tends to be much less expensive than a funeral and increasing numbers of people in the United States are opting for cremation rather than a burial.

One last thing to keep in mind is some sort of social gathering after the funeral events are over. This can be important in bringing together loved ones of the deceased, or people who haven't seen each other in many years. After the stress and heartache of planning a funeral, this can be a way for survivors to commemorate the life of the deceased. While the last thing you might what to do after planning a funeral and laying a loved one to rest, these informal gatherings can serve as an outlet for your grief as you are surrounded by family and friends.

No matter where the person died or whether you opt for a traditional funeral or cremation, planning a funeral anywhere can be one of the most challenging experiences of your life. Keep in mind this simple list of what will usually happen following the death of a loved one, and you can get through the difficult time of planning a funeral. Keep family and friends close to you for love and support.