It may seem impossible to get ready for funeral services in Langhorne, PA after a death. Losing a loved one is hard enough without all the stress of details, decisions and planning. However, if you follow these 7 steps, you will have a much easier time preparing for a funeral:  

1. Report the Death – The first step is to report the death to the proper authorities. If the death is at a hospital, nursing home, or hospice, the officials there will know what to do and will make the report for you. If you are at home, or have no other options, call 911.  
2. Prepare To Work With A Funeral Director – You will need the assistance of a funeral director to complete the death certificate, transport and store the body. Take note if the deceased made pre-arrangements for his or her funeral, and be prepared to relay these wishes to the funeral director.  
3. Pick a Type of Service – There are several funeral service and cremation options you need to be prepared to choose from:  
   • Funerals, in which the service is held before the body is cremated or buried and the body is present 
   • Memorials, in which the service is help after the body is buried or cremated and therefore not present 
   • Graveside services in which the funeral takes place at the grave 
4. Make Cemetery Arrangements – If you choose a burial rather than a cremation you will need to make cemetery arrangements. Decide where the burial will take place, and if necessary purchase a plot. If you’re unsure where to start, your funeral home will most likely be affiliated with a cemetery and can help you find a plot. You could also check with your church, synagogue or other place of worship for further guidance.  
5. Make Funeral Arrangements – Feel free to get creative when making funeral arrangements to make the service personal and meaningful. Flowers, music, pre or post service events and other special touches help make the service personal for you and the deceased.  
6. Inform The Family and Write Death Notice – Personally inform all close family, friends and loved ones of the death, ideally over the phone or in person. If you’re nervous, take the time to write a script to help you make key points.  Don’t forget to write and release a death notice to notify the rest of the friends, coworkers, associates etc.  
7. List Pre-Funeral Tasks – Make a list of what you need to accomplish before the funeral to help you stay organized and not forget anything important. This list could include your attire, personal items or collecting photos.  

J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel in Morrisville PA offers a wide range of Langhorne, PA funeral services, and would be more than happy to assist you in any way you need. Please visit us at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067 or give us a call at (215) 295-7725.  

Most people have heard by now how important it is to preplan funeral services in Yardley, PA. However, no one ever really talks about how hard it can be to talk about your preplanning with family and loved ones. Loved ones don’t want to think about losing you, much less talk about the details of your funeral. This difficulty doesn’t make the conversation any less important.   

As hard as it is to talk about preplanning, your family will appreciate it in the long run. If you’re ready to start preplanning for your funeral, but aren’t quite sure how to breach the subject with your loved ones, use the following tips and trips about talking to your family about preplanning to make the process easier.  

1. Know What You Want – Don’t try and talk to your family about your post-death wishes until you know what they are. Take time before you bring up the subject to research, think about and decide precisely what you want out of your funeral. What kind of service do you want? Do you want a burial or cremation? Viewing or visitation? What’s the budget? Once you know the answer to those questions, you’ll be better able to express your concrete wishes to your family.  
2. Get Ready For High Emotions: While you’ve taken time to plan and get used to the idea of your own passing, your family and loved one’s most likely have not. The people you love will need some time to process all the emotions associated with your probable, eventual or impending death and loss. They might get angry with you, experience denial about the conversation’s necessity, or be just plain sad at the idea of losing you. If things get too emotional, take a break and continue the conversation once everyone has calmed down a bit.  
3. Listen and Answer: Even though your final wishes are ultimately your decision and all about what you want, your loved ones will still want to have some input. Be ready to listen to their concerns and to answer any questions they might have.  If you don’t have the answer right away, take the time you need to come up with one.  
4. Stay Strong: While its important to listen to what your family has to say about your final wishes, it’s still mostly your decision at the end of the day. Don’t be afraid to be firm about what you want, and stand up for decisions that are important to you. Once you’ve come to a decision everyone can be happy with, it’s a great idea to have a legal document drawn up with all the details so there are no questions after you’re gone.  

While discussing your death with your loved ones will never be easy, it’s always worth it because preplanning will give everyone peace of mind.    

J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel, located at41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, can offer more assistance with preplanning Yardley, PA funeral services. Please call us at (215) 295-7725 for more information.  

Funeral homes in Levittown, PA and the rest of the country can be overwhelming and confusing. Since you’re usually only in a funeral home when you’re already overwhelmed or stressed from a loss, why not make it easier on yourself and learn more about funeral homes and important terminology now?   

Some funeral home terms you should know are:  

• Bereaved: The deceased’s loved ones or immediate family.  
• Burial Certificate: A legal document authorizing burial. The same documents apply to cremations, and it made by your local government.  
• Death Certificate: A document proving the cause of death, generally issued by the deceased’s doctor.  
• Columbarium: A wall with niches or holes in which cremation urns are housed.  
• Committal Service: A service in which the body is buried or interred.  
• Cremains: Another word for cremated remains.  
• Crematory: The furnace in which bodies are cremated. It can also refer to the building that houses the furnace.  
• Death Notice: An article or newspaper section announcing someone’s death and providing funeral or memorial details.  
• Embalm: Preserving a dead body by running preservative fluids through the arteries and veins.  
• Eulogy: A speech praising, remembering and celebrating the deceased’s life.  
• Exhume: Digging up the remains of someone who was already buried.  
• Flower Car: The car or vehicle used to transport the flowers from the church and/or cemetery to the funeral home.  
• Funeral Director: The man or woman who works with the bereaved to plan and execute a funeral service and all accompanying details. Generally, funeral directors maintain or run funeral homes.  
• Funeral Spray: A floral tribute traditionally given to the bereaved at a funeral.  
• Grave Liner: A wooden, metal or concrete casing that holds the casket in the ground. Grave liners help prevent the ground around the grave from sinking for safety and help keep the grass above the grave level as the earth settles for aesthetics.  
• Pallbearers: Family, friends, or religious members that help carry the casket.  
• Memorial Service: A service held to honor the deceased when the body is not present.  
• Mortuary: Another word for a funeral home.  
• Obituary: A death notice in a newspaper or on a website that gives a small biography of the deceased and often includes a photo.  
• Plot: A piece of land, usually owned by an individual or a family, that’s reserved for two or more graves.  
• Reposing Room: A room in a funeral home that stores the body until the burial or funeral.  
• Vault: Almost synonymous with grave liner, but vaults tend to be more expensive. Vaults are usually made of wood, metal or concrete. 
• Viewing: The time at which friends, family or funeral goers can view the casket.  

 Don’t let yourself be stressed or overwhelmed by Levittown, PA funeral homes. Instead, trust J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel. Visit us at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, or give us a call at (215) 295-7725 to learn more about what we can do for you.