Here are some common questions often asked regarding funeral services.
Q: What is a funeral director and why
do I need one?
A: A funeral director makes the necessary arrangements and
preparations for a funeral service. This includes transferring your loved
one from his or her place of death to the funeral home, preparing your loved one
for the funeral service, guiding you through making selections regarding the
funeral service to be held, helping you select a casket and/or burial vault, and
coordinating with a church and/or cemetery or crematory for the funeral mass
and/or burial or cremation service. A licensed funeral director a must
adhere to the ethics and standards established by our profession, including
having the required amounts of preparatory and continuing education. On a
legal note, New York State law requires that a funeral director must be present
to supervise and coordinate a cemetery burial or cremation. A funeral
director is also necessary to transfer a loved one from a hospital or other
medical institution. On a more personal note, the funeral directors at
Papavero Funeral Home are also available for the support and guidance through
your difficult time of need. The Papavero Family has five generations of
experience in helping families cope with grief and difficult task of dealing
with the loss of a loved one.
Q: Why is a funeral service important?
A: A funeral service doesn't just recognize that a
life has ended; it also celebrates a life that has been lived. A funeral ritual
helps those who are left behind to begin the healing process by focusing their
emotions and bringing meaning to the experience of death. It gives permission to
survivors to express feelings of sadness and loss. Many underestimate the
importance of a meaningful funeral service. The funeral service is a
crucial element to the healing process, which establishing a sense of solid
ground upon which we begin a process of dealing with and recovering from the
loss of a loved one. A meaningful funeral is one that is authentic,
creative and personalized in relation to the person who died and those who are
grieving.
Q: Why is a
visitation important?
A: A visitation involves the family gathering together around the
open or closed casket of their loved one. Research has shown that a
visitation helps families with the grieving process. This is because of
the supportive atmosphere created by a visitation. Often times, stories
are told from one family member to another or among friends and this will often
call to mind positive memories of he or she whom has passed. Because this
is the last time a loved one will be seen, this positive memory will be an
important starting point in the healing process. It is also important for
children to be present during a visitation, as long as it is properly explained
and the child's attendance is voluntary, because, without a visitation, a
child's imagination may create an image of death and the appearance of a loved
one worse than it really is.
Q: What is the purpose of embalming
and is it required?
A: Embalming is a process of preparation that fulfills several
purposes. Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body, slowing down the
natural process of decomposition. Embalming also can enhance the physical
appearance of a body, if affected by a traumatic death or illness.
Embalming is not required by law, with the exceptions of special cases involving
contagious diseases in which it is required or in cases where a body will be
shipped by commercial airlines to a different state for burial. However,
no public visitation with an open casket can take place without embalming.
The funeral directors at Papavero Funeral Home can explain the needs for
embalming with respect to your family's personal situation.
Q: How can a funeral be personalized?
A: A funeral can be personalized in a number of ways.
Personalization options are available on many of the caskets provided by
Papavero Funeral Home, including embroidered custom panels, personalized casket
corner symbols, and personalized cremation urns. There are many ways to
have a service unique including personal eulogies, special background music
played in the chapel, display of personal items and pictures, and more.
Papavero Funeral Home can assist in any customizations and personalized
selections that you may request.
Q: What services are
available if cremation is chosen for final disposition?
A: If cremation is chosen, many traditional funeral services can
still be performed preceding the cremation. A casket can be selected,
provided it is compatible with cremation regulations
(composed of a wood material), a full public
visitation may be held, and a funeral mass may be held all prior to the actual
cremation. Another choice for families is to have the cremation take place
first, followed by a memorial service at the funeral home. Families may
opt for a direct cremation in which there are no funeral services other than the
cremation service itself.
Q: Following cremation, what
options are available for the cremated remains?
A: After the cremation, there are several options for disposition
of the remains. First, families may wish to have a memorial service in the
funeral chapel with the ashes present. As for final intentions, families
have several options. One option is to purchase a cremation urn in which
the cremated remains are housed and can be kept on display somewhere in the
home. Cremated remains can also be buried in the grave of another loved
one. Another option is to purchase a niche, or specified dwelling
designated for cremated remains, in the local cemetery. Some families may
opt to scatter the remains in a choice location. Please consult your
funeral director about regulations in your area with regards to scattering.
Q: What if I die out of state?
A: If death occurs out of state, Papavero Funeral Home can arrange
for the body to be transferred from the institution or place of residence where
the death occurred, as well as the preparation of remains (embalming is required
for shipment of human remains by common carrier airlines), and the shipment of
remains to the state of funeral service and/or burial.
Q: What if I have to reach a funeral
director in the middle of the night?
A: Papavero Funeral Home has licensed funeral directors available
24 hours a day, 7 days a week to serve your needs. We are available to respond
immediately, or as your individual situation requires.
Q: Why should I consider
making funeral pre-arrangements?
A: Pre-Arranging a funeral allows you to pre-plan your funeral
arrangements and set aside the funds to pay for it ahead of time. Papavero
Funeral Home uses the PrePlan, a program backed by the New York State
Funeral Directors Association (NYSFDA), which is the national leader in managing
prepaid funeral and burial accounts.
Q: What are the advantages of
pre-arrangements?
A: There are many advantages of pre-arranging your funeral.
First, it gives you choice in that you choose the funeral you want to
mark the end of your life. It also supplies comfort, relieving the burden on the people
who love and care about you. It assures you that your investment is safe in
government-insured securities. It holds compliance as your pre-paid funeral qualifies
for Medicaid benefits. It also conveniently allows you may make your payment
directly to the funeral director at any time.
Q: Is my money safe if I pre-pay my
funeral?
A: Your money is always safe. PrePlan funeral funds are placed in FDIC-insured certificates of deposit
(CD's) which provide consumers with the combined financial benefit of safe, no
risk investments with a maximum rate of interest and each account is
federally insured up to $100,000.