Monthly Archives: July 2019

funeral home needs in Yardley, PA

5 Documents To Prepare Before The Funeral Home

Preplanning for your funeral home needs in Yardley, PA is one way to prepare for your eventual passing. Another way is to gather and prepare these 5 important documents so your loved ones are not left with the task all on their own after you’re gone.

1. Healthcare Power of Attorney – A healthcare power of attorney (POA) document appoints someone to make your medical decisions for you if you ever become unable. This document is good to have in the event of any medical problems from terminal illnesses and loss of brain function to temporary unconsciousness. Choose someone you trust to be your healthcare POA. Some states require a POA to be notarized with additional witnesses, but all states require the document to be signed by all involved parties.

2. HIPAA Release – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) stipulate that all medical records are confidential between the patient and the healthcare provider. If you want a family member to have access to your records in case you pass away or become incapacitated, you need to fill out and sign a HIPPAA Release form.

3. ICE Book of Important Documents – While an in case of emergency (ICE) book isn’t a formal document, it’s a major help for families to gain access to important documents when a loved one passes away or is incapacitated. Make one and keep it in a secure yet obvious place in the event of your death. Include documents in your ICE book like:

  • Tax returns going back 5 years
  • Bank accounts
  • Medical and dental records
  • Insurance information
  • Birth certificate
  • Social security card
  • Important passwords

4.  Will – Your will is a document that states who will receive your assets and belongings after you pass. Wills must meet some important criteria to be valid, so it’s always a good idea to consult an attorney. Make sure your will:

  • Clearly identifies itself as your personal will and clearly lists your name, date of birth, and social security number.
  • Names an executor to make sure your exact wishes are carried out, from cremation to dividing the assets.
  • Clearly lists and identifies the heirs
  • Names all your assets, from bank accounts to estates and everything in between, and designates which heir will get what percentage of each asset.
  • Is signed by you and two or three witnesses

You can also draw up a living will in the event you become incapacitated in some way. Different than a POA or a will, a living will lets you lay out your end of life wishes in the event you become terminally ill.

If you have any more questions about these documents, or about Yardley, PA funeral homes in general, please reach out to J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel. You can 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.

cremation services in Trenton, NJ

What Is Direct Cremation?

There are many different types of cremation services in Trenton, NJ, and one such type is direct cremation. Direct cremation is a disposition method in which the deceased’s body is cremated almost immediately following death without a funeral or memorial beforehand. Direct cremation is gaining popularity, as it is generally less expensive than other options. Read on to learn more about direct cremation.

Direct cremation means the body is cremated right after death without any preceding ceremony. Some funeral homes offer direct cremation, as do many crematory services. Direct cremations can be cost a lot less than funerals or other cremations as they skip potentially expensive add-ons like caskets and embalming.

There is no visitation, wake or viewing with a direct cremation, so the body doesn’t need to be embalmed. Family, loved ones, or executors can also choose to have the body cremated in a simple container, rather than a traditional and more expensive casket, as there is no need for ornamentation for a viewing or service.

Direct cremation does allow for the bereaved to plan a memorial service at a later date after the cremation, allowing for scheduling flexibility so more people can attend. The longer timeline also allows the family extra time to make the service more creative and personal.

The Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule has laws that protect your direct cremation rights such as:

  • You are not required to purchase or use a casket
  • The crematory or funeral home must furnish a wood box or alternate container for the direct cremation
  • The funeral home or crematory must return the remains to you in an urn provided by yourself. If you do not provide and urn, they will return the remains to you in a basic container.

Most direct cremation packages include services other than the cremation itself, from transporting the body to the crematory to completing a death certificate form. You are free to choose a traditional funeral home or a crematory service for direct cremations. Funeral homes will fill out the death certificate and bring the body to the crematory, which is oftentimes onsite at the funeral home.

Don’t forget to make plans for the cremated remains. There are many options such as burying them in a crematory plot, columbarium, or pre-determined cemetery, or scattering them in a meaningful place. Do keep in mind, though, that there are added costs for internment like headstones, cemetery fees, grave markers, endowment or perpetual care, and columbarium or plot fees.

Direct cremation is a great option if you are looking to avoid costs such as preparing the body, casket, extensive transportation, or funeral services. If you want to learn more about direct cremation, or other kinds of Trenton, NJ cremation services, please contact J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel. We have years of experience we would love to put to use helping you and your loved ones in your time of loss. Please visit us at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, or give us a call at (215) 295-7725.

funeral homes in Trenton, NJ

Why Funerals Are Important

Funerals at funeral homes in Trenton, NJ are traditions for a reason. A vital part of the grief and healing process for any family going through a loss, funerals and all associated services have five main benefits:

  1. Ritual: The formal funeral service is a ritual that holds cultural and religious significance. It helps family and friends deal with loss in a safe and stabilized way while also providing an opportunity to honor the deceased and help support the family, community and friends.
  2. Connection: Funeral services bring loved ones together. The support of family and friends is imperative to a healthy grief and healing process, and funeral services provide the chance for people to lend that support.
  3. Healing: Funerals provide the opportunity for expressing grief in a healthy and supported way, which is crucial to the healing process. Grieving openly with others who understand and are probably feeling what you are feeling is encouraged at funerals. This sharing helps you begin to heal after a loss.
  4. Honoring the Deceased: Your deceased loved one deserves respect, care and dignity in death. The entire funeral event is a tribute, and celebrates her life in a positive and healing way. By hosting a funeral, you can feel you’ve done right by the deceased by remembering her in a meaningful way.
  5. Saying Goodbye: Funeral services allow family and loved ones a chance to say their final goodbyes. This provides a small amount of closure, which can greatly help the healing. Funeral services offer a way for you to say your piece and begin to move on from the death.

Its important to remember that just having any old cremation or funeral service might not give you all of the above benefits. Hosting a meaningful ceremony makes a big difference, so when planning funeral services, you must take time to remember, reflect and carefully choose details that will help make the service one to remember. What will make your loved one’s funeral meaningful, special and memorable? Personalization.

Make the service a unique and special tribute to the deceased. This is easily accomplished with just a little bit of creativity. Meaningful funerals can have lots of different aspects, from music and poems to special locations, flowers, photos, and everything in between. As long at the funeral is a tribute in some way to the deceased’s life and impact, anything goes. No matter what you choose, you can’t go wrong if you put a little thought in.

Funeral services are an important part of the healing process, and can have a great impact on your ability to move forward after a death. J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel can help you make your lost loved one’s funeral as personal, respectful and meaningful as possible. We offer a range of Trenton, NJ funeral home services from 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067. Please give us a call at (215) 295-7725 to learn more about what we can do for you.

cremation services in Levittown, PA

Arranging Cremation Services

Cremations are a popular choice for final body disposition. But how do you go about arranging cremation services? No matter if you’re preplanning for your own cremation, or planning for a loved one’s recent death, it’s helpful to know what steps you need to take to arrange cremation services in Levittown, PA.

1. Choose Which Cremation Services You Want– There are a few different types of cremations, and the first step is to choose which one you want. The two main types of cremation you can choose from are traditional cremation and direct cremation. Traditional cremation involves a funeral before the cremation. The body is embalmed and put in a casket for a funeral service, then cremated afterward. Direct cremation happens before any type of service, so the body is not embalmed or put in a casket.

2. Obtain a Death Certificate– You will have to furnish a death certificate in order for a facility to process the body. If you don’t already have one, some funeral homes and crematories may help you get one for an extra charge. Be sure to get extra copies, as you will need a death certificate copy for many stops along the way. If you need copies after you’ve already submitted the original, contact your local county records office.

3. Complete the Cremation Authorization Forms– Before any body can be cremated it needs to be held and examined by the county coroner or medical examiner. The examiner must fill out and sign a cremation authorization form showing information including:

  • Date of birth
  • Pacemakers or other implants
  • Infectious diseases
  • Time, place and cause of death

Many cremation authorization forms also include fingerprints or other body identifiers.

4. Arrange Body Transportation – Most funeral homes and crematories provide transportation for the body from the place of death, medical office or storage to the crematorium. In some cases, the family must arrange separate transportation.

5. Choose and Purchase a Cremation Casket – Even if you choose a direct cremation, you will still need a cremation casket for the body to be cremated in. Some facilities provide a cremation casket free of charge, but you may purchase one if you wish.

6. Determine Post Cremation Plans– The cremated remains will be returned to you after the cremation, and you must make plans for what to do with them. Some common options are scattering, burying or interring, displaying or storing the remains. Scattering is very common, and is when loved ones, friends or family scatter the remains in a special place, or even into water. Be sure to check for local laws about scattering and get any necessary permits. Others choose to bury or inter the remains in the ground, a mausoleum, or a columbarium. You can also display the remains in a cremation urn at home or some other special location.

Cremation preplanning ensures that your wishes will be carried out exactly as you desire, and can also save your loved ones a great deal of stress during an already difficult time. If you want more help planning Levittown, PA cremation services, contact J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel by visiting 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, or calling (215) 295-7725.