Posts tagged: homes

Manufactured homes, also known as mobile homes, are factory-produced homes that can be transported anywhere and installed at a selected site with or without a permanent foundation. Manufactured homes have revolutionized the American housing market by providing affordability and flexibility to potential buyers.

During the past few years, nearly 1 out of 3 new homes sold has been a manufactured home. With increasing home costs, many buyers prefer manufactured homes, which meet basic housing needs at a lower price. Instead of constructing a house in 3 to 5 months from scratch, you can get a ready home within 5 to 10 days. Today, manufactured homes are spacious, well-designed and affordable. The main advantage is that these homes are thoroughly inspected to meet the construction standards set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the design, energy efficiency, durability, strength, and fire resistance protocols.

Manufactured home dealers provide manufactured homes that fit almost everyone?s tastes and pocket. Some are designed for those on a limited budget. Other models offer luxurious features at a higher price. The home can be a single-section unit or a large multi-section unit. You have the option of choosing from a wide variety of home styles. There are more than a hundred and fifty companies dealing with manufactured homes and more than four hundred factories located throughout the United States which manufacture them.

When buying a manufactured home, you have to keep the prices in mind. The sales price for a new manufactured home ranges from under $25,000 for a single-section home with basic features to prices in excess of $100,000 for a deluxe multi-section home. Depending on the location and excluding the cost of land, construction cost per square foot for a new manufactured home averages anywhere from 10 to 35 percent less than a comparable site-built home. A manufactured home is the answer if you are looking for a first home, a larger home for your growing family, or the perfect retirement home.

New luxury homes for sale may not be for everyone, but many people continue to strive for more spacious and more lavish homes. Not even the economic recession stopped homebuyers from wanting to go big. This is why there are many new luxury home builders offering roomy custom-built homes for competitive prices.

The definition of luxury real estate is changing. Back in the day, a luxury home or real estate is a property priced at the upper 5-10% of the real estate market. This may be true today, as not everyone can afford deluxe cottages and extravagant mansions that new luxury home builders create. These builders simply extended their services to accommodate the growing demand for bigger homes. Today, they offer to build quality custom single-family homes and townhomes as well.

New luxury homes for sale are perfect for those who can afford it because you will be getting only the highest quality. Most luxury home builders have their own in-house architect that design energy-efficient yet still comfortable houses. They also offer extensive warranty for each property they build. They will conduct repairs for free during the first year, fix mechanical systems such as electrical wiring and plumbing the next, and offer warranty for structural elements by the tenth year.

New luxury home builders follow a strict process when offering their services to homebuyers. Familiarize yourself with some of the basic steps to acquiring your own lavish property.

Selection and Financing. The first step to finding any home is shopping around for builders and their designs. You will choose your own site and floor plan at the beginning. Their in-house architects will then ask about the customizations you want. You will then discuss financing options. Many builders offer their own in-house mortgage, making their company a one-stop shop for homebuyers.

Pre-construction Planning. Your builder will assign a project manager who will guide you through the entire process. Together, you will create a schedule and set different milestones. You will use these milestones later on to gauge whether or not the construction is going on time. They will ask you to review your selections one final time before beginning the building process. Part of the pre-construction planning is taking you to the site. They will explain your layout and give you an initial idea of how big your luxury house will be.

Pre-Drywall Inspection. You will not have to be there for the inspections the law requires, but builders will ask you to inspect the framing before they install the drywall and any mechanical systems. You will see the quality of construction and get a feel of your home for the first time. Visiting the site at this stage of construction lets you adjust the design and make changes easily.

Pre-Settlement Walkthrough and Delivery. The next time you will see your home is when it is complete. Your project manager will familiarize you on the features of your new home, as well as address any questions and issues you may raise. You can move into your new home after the closing process with your contractors.

Post-settlement reviews. Respected home builders will not stop their service after they finish building your new abode. They will visit after a specific period of time has passed and check how you are settling in. You can ask them any questions regarding your home’s construction and features, which they will address promptly.

As a matter of fact, the services offered by various funeral homes do not differ much from each other. However, the level and quality of services may differ greatly. How the funerals are managed by the provider, largely depends on the level of services offered by them. So, you need to be careful while choosing a funeral service.

Generally, services offered also depend on the plans you choose as there are numerous funeral plans offered by service providers.

Burial service management incorporates numerous assignments which require in-depth details while making arrangements. The funeral director will lease or talk to people who’ll be involved in your burial or cremation, for instance, cemetery, religious figure and morgue.

As part of the service, a chapel can be presented, but many people choose the chapel of either their own choice or that of the deceased.

A private visiting room is offered by funeral services, where people can pay their last respects to the deceased. This memorial service generally happens a few days before the burial service. However, in some situations, this is not always conceivable, for instance, if the family members of the deceased person are coming from far away.

Funeral directors will also provide services of embalming the deceased, which allows the deceased to be preserved, if an open casket is requested. The deceased’s blood is replaced with dye and chemicals in the embalming process. An open casket is important as it provides the grieving friends and family members a chance to see the deceased before finally laying them to rest. The private room is usually used for such visits.

Cremation is a type of a funeral service, which is also provided by almost every service provider, if asked for. Majority of the funeral homes has a crematorium or they have a partnership with a crematorium. The funeral home will perform the memorial service in the crematorium, if this is preferred to a chapel.

Numerous burial service homes offer another memorial service known as Prepaid Funeral. In Prepaid Funeral, you can visit the burial service home before death and examine your needs and requirements that you’ll want after your death. Prepaid Funeral is turning out to be a popular option as it gives individuals the genuine peace that their friends and family won’t need to bear the weight of arranging their funeral.

You will discover that there are Prepaid Funeral plans to choose from. It totally your decision to choose from the various Funeral plan price and funeral service provider will only execute the services it has offered. You can pick the plan that suits your requirements and budget. We all know that the price of funeral is increasing at a rapid speed. So, Prepaid Funeral plans come in a range of prices, which can be afforded by people of every financial background.

Many people think that modular homes are little more than cookie-cutter manufactured mobile homes. But this assumption, according to Grant Smereczynsky, CEO of Building Systems Network, could not be further from the truth. As Smereczynsky explains, modular homes are very poorly understood by the general public.

Industrialized, or systems-built, homes are constructed under high quality building conditions within a controlled environment and at fractions of the time and cost required to construct traditional site-built homes.

Custom built modular homes speak legions for the systems built modular home industry, because they demonstrate how architects and builders are thinking outside the box to meet the public need for quality built, affordable homes.

Highly skilled laborers construct sections of the homes, which are transported to the site where they are put together to build a home. The number one benefit of modular homes is the speed of construction. It takes eight days for custom home to go from start at the factory to delivery at the site. This method makes it possible for popular shows such as Extreme Home Makeover to construct brand new homes in under a week.

Even though these homes save on time and labor costs, they use ten to fifteen percent more construction materials because the walls, joints, framework and all other components of the house are strengthened beyond the levels of a traditional site home. This provides the biggest benefit to modular homebuyers – cost savings.

Since modular home builders provide 80 to 85 percent of the home, the buyer avoids the risk of giving money to a builder and not having the home built to their specifications, or of having their price inflated by numerous change orders. By cutting out most of the middlemen, modular homebuilders can provide quality, luxury, custom products at a fraction of the cost available through traditional builders.

“Don’t let these innovative designs and new home building technologies pass you by,” Smereczynsky says. “Take advantage of benefits and opportunities available to home buyers of affordable luxury and custom dream homes that modular homes and modular home builders provide.”

If you own an older motor home you may have problems finding parts because those models are no longer need built or the manufacturer has gone out of business. Even if you own a new recreational vehicle you may want to find stronger and sturdier parts that are no longer offered on the newer motor homes, but they used to be used on other older motor home series. This is when a good motor home junkyard comes in handy.

Believe it or not there are a lot of motor home junkyards in the United States and they make great places to get parts. Some recreational vehicle junkyards have motor homes that are over 30 years old and that means you can find nearly any part you need. The junkyards are well known to those RV repair shops, which will use them to get parts when they cannot find a part in the catalog they need to repair someone’s motor home or recreational vehicle.

There are very large recreational vehicle and motor home junkyards in 13 states and many junkyards do have motor homes in them although they are not specializing in only recreational vehicles. If you need an obscure part for your motor home it makes sense to cruise the junkyards.

I have only been to two RV junkyards. But in each case I had found things that were very valuable and cost very little. Parts, which were stronger than anything you see in the market today. Things I could not get anywhere else and they were not listed in any catalog. Perhaps you might consider this in 2006 and help the world recycle all those old RVs.

1. “Necessary Repairs” Increase Home Value– Generally you can expect to see a rise in the value of your home when you do things like replace the air conditioning unit, furnace, or roof. You will get a higher offer on your house with these things than without. So while the idea of buying a home with an old hot water heater that you’ll need to replace seems like a buzz kill, you’ll pay less than if they had upgraded it for you (always use this as negotiating power! either request they do it, or factor it in to what the house is worth). This combined can be a great way to buy a nice house for a great deal.

2. “No Regret” Design Changes- That parquet floor has been there long enough to push aside any regret for ripping it out and replacing it. Those 80’s tile, feel free to rip them out. Trends expire and it’s better to rip out tile that’s past it’s prime than brand new tile that’s hardly seen use. And you’re free to replace it with whatever you want, whereas builders normally have a selection you have to choose from.

3. “Old House” Charm- It’s more expensive to buy “charming” details new. Much like the old tile and parquet flooring, the crown molding and carved wood details you’ll oftentimes find in older homes has “paid it’s dues” and is cheaper to buy in that older home. You’ll find decorating with these details to be a treat as they’re visually interesting and beautiful.

4. Cheaper To Buy Upfront- Older homes can be cheaper to buy up front for the same square footage in the same area. This has a lot to do with the labor costs that go into a new construction. You’re paying people’s wages when you buy those homes whereas you’re just buying the value of the property from a seller of an older home.

5. Established Neighbourhoods- Older homes are in older neighbourhoods and this can mean beautiful shade providing mature trees, grass covered yards, parks and more. Drive through an older neighbourhood and you’ll see the benefits with mature landscaping and variety of people living there.

6. Remodelling Potential- Because the homes are often cheaper, the lots normally bigger, and the homes not as close together, there’s normally a lot of room to remodel an older home. Go ahead and pair that with #2 and you’re in it to win it, right?

7. Energy Efficiency- Yes! Shockingly, I’m going to tell you that buying an older home can benefit your bank account. Smaller homes are less expensive to heat and cool. As long as you have or upgrade existing insulating features, the smaller rooms and lower ceilings are going to be noticeably cheaper to keep comfortable. And on the other end of things, older homes were not equipped with modern cooling and heating so they were built with features that kept it cooler (without electricity, yay lower electricity bills!)

8. Problems already Discovered & Addressed- Provided previous owners weren’t total D-bags, any problems that have risen from the homes construction will have already been addressed. Things like settling have likely already occurred (true story- my parent’s bought new construction and they have huge patches around the doorways of one side of their house from where they had cracks fixed from the new house settling).

9. Variety in Choices/Styles/Designs/Layouts- When you buy from a builder, you get options. These options are uniform in choice with all the other homes the builder is selling. When you buy in an older neighbourhood, you get variety in styles, choices, and finishes to choose from.

10. Location- Older homes are normally located closer to desirable parts of the city. My older home is located near the beach, other older homes in our city are located in beautiful neighbourhoods right next to downtown. The newer construction homes are normally built on old acreage full of trees and are pretty out of the way (and if you want to be out of the way, charming old farmhouses are normally out there!)

11. Quicker Move In- It makes sense that a house already built would be quicker to move into than one that doesn’t exist yet, right?

For More Information – Mantri Developers

Do you know that Funeral Homes have a 1000% markup on their products and services that they offer you? Well it’s true!

Here is an example. They buy their urns that they sell to consumers from Turkey or India for approximately $30, they then sell them to consumers at prices of $200 to $1200 +.

The average crematory charges $250 per cremation. Do you know what the funeral home is charging you for that cremation? Yes, take a guess!

It is a real shame that they are charging 1000% markups on their products and services. In my opinion they are taking advantage of people when they are in a desperate time of need. Besides the fact, the people are grieving over just losing a family member. The people are sometimes not thinking straight.

The problem with this is that people do not have much choice. The only person legally authorized to transport the deceased from the place of death to a crematory or funeral home is a Licensed Funeral Director.

BUT hold on…. this is slowly changing! Some cities and towns now have licensed funeral directors opening their own business outside of a funeral home and offering low cost services such as direct cremations. They will transport the deceased straight to the crematory for you, and the cremation will be processed and the ashes (remains) will be returned to you. You may then hold your own private memorial service in your home if you prefer. You may scatter the ashes or keep them stored in an urn. The choice is yours. This method will save you a lot of money!

Whether you are pre-planning your own arrangements, or you just lost a loved one. Do some research! If you are looking to save some money, or you cannot afford the 1000% markup of costs… look around, do some research, you do have other choices. You can choose a direct cremation service not associated with the 1000% markup of a funeral home. Or if you or your family member do not want to be cremated you can go through a funeral home, BUT that does not mean you have to pay for one of their urns or caskets, you can opt to buy your own from a discount casket outlet, or online. AND you do not have to opt for a memorial service to be held at the funeral home, you may decide to have it at your church or in your home.

It is not a law that you HAVE to buy the products and services offered by funeral homes. You may buy a cremation urn or casket from anywhere you choose. AND it is not a law that you must have a memorial service at a funeral home. You may choose not to have one at all if you prefer not too.

Cremation urns can be purchased online for $100 to $250 rather than $200 to $1200 at a funeral home.

Caskets can be purchased for a $1,000 to $2,000 savings from a discount outlet and they will even have the casket shipped to wherever you need it to go.

By not having a memorial service at a funeral home will save you another $1,000 – $5,000.

It’s your choice… pay 1000% markup or do it your way and SAVE BIG!

Personal care homes provide individualized medical services, shelter, assistance, and supervision to their residents. Several governmental and non-governmental organizations ensure that these facilities adhere to the set rules and regulations so that the elderly get nothing but the best services.

When looking for these kinds of institutions, it is imperative to understand the different types in order to make an informed decision. Here is a breakdown of the various types of senior homes.

Assisted Living Facilities

Assisted living facilities, also referred to as congregate housing, are an ideal choice for people who need little to no help. Each resident lives in his or her own fully furnished apartment. However, the rooms are fitted with modern emergency signaling devices that one can use to request emergency medical attention at any hour. The residents also share some spaces, such as the laundry, fitness, dining, and living rooms. Other privileges offered include security, housekeeping, and transportation. It is important to note that the set of services may vary from one facility to another.

Residential Facilities

Residential facilities, also commonly referred to as domiciliary facilities, offer assistance to elderly people who need specialized medical attention. Most of them operate around the clock and are managed by professionals. These personal care homes require their residents to be mentally fit and capable of doing simple tasks such as feeding and dressing themselves without assistance. The best facilities allocate each resident a one-bedroom apartment with a private bathroom and storage units. Extra services may include housekeeping, social activities, meals, and laundry.

Nursing Facilities

Nursing facilities are an ideal choice for elderly people who have a serious health condition and need to be monitored 24/7. They offer professional nursing, emergency medical services, rehabilitation programs, and social activities. The level of attention provided can be skilled, intermediate, or custodial. Intermediate means that one is assisted with activities necessary for daily living, such as the provision of nursing attention. Skilled assistance means one is given 24-hour medical supervision, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing services. Custodial means that the resident needs daily-living assistance but does not necessarily require the expertise of a skilled nurse.

These are the most common types of personal care homes. During the decision-making process, it is important to read policy documents to know a facility’s services and regulations. For example, some do not admit people who have health conditions like cancer or who use wheelchairs. Having all of this information at hand will help you choose the best facility for your loved one.

Benjamin Franklin said it best – “nothing in life is certain except death and taxes” but with daily advancements in science, technology and health care, Americans are living longer than ever before*. This blessing however, has created a unique dilemma for modern American families: How to plan for and prepare for one’s retirement years.

Have you taken a road-trip lately? Almost every highway is graced with large bill-boards providing the locations of new planned communities where couples can spend their retirement years dedicated to recreational pursuits. I doubt you will find a local newspaper that doesn’t have at least one ad promoting the amenities found at a local assisted living facility. Try to search for “nursing homes in Virginia” on the Internet and thousands of web pages will appear. Each and every day new facilities offering different programs are being built and marketed across the state.

Is such a facility right for you and your family? If so, which facility? We often hear the terms “retirement community,” “nursing home,” and “assisted living facility” but rarely consider what these terms actually mean. The differences however, are striking and it is imperative to understand these differences when making choices for yourself or your loved ones.

NURSING HOMES

In Virginia, a nursing home means any facility with the primary function of providing long-term nursing care, nursing services and health-related services on a continuing basis, for the treatment and inpatient care of two or more non-related individuals**. Put simply, a nursing home is a facility designed for someone who needs less care than a hospital, but requires daily health care assistance.

The Virginia Department of Health licenses such facilities and has established guidelines regulating various aspects of their operations, programs, and staffing needs, etc***. For example, a nursing home must: (a) have written policies and procedures regarding the treatment of residents and the management of resident care which are available to residents and their families (12VAC5-360-20); (b) provide emergency medical services within 15 minutes, under normal conditions (12VAC5-360-50); (c) be subject to unannounced on-site inspections of the nursing facility by State employees (12VAC5-371-60); (d) have a written agreement with one or more physicians licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine to serve as medical director (12VAC5-371-230); and (e) each resident shall be under the care of a physician licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine (12VAC5-371-240).

In addition, residents of nursing homes are also given certain rights as defined by Virginia Code §32.1-138. See http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+32.1-138. Nursing homes are the most regulated and structured residential options for our Seniors requiring some level of daily health care. If the facility provides care through Medicare and Medicaid programs, it is deemed a “Certified nursing facility” (Virginia Code §32.1-123; Virginia Code §32.1-127) and must be in compliance with both federal and state laws.

Of course, the more rules and regulations that define and control the daily operations of a nursing home, the greater the responsibility of the staff. These are the people who will be charged with the daily task of caring for your loved one, and making sure they are in compliance with state and federal laws. No matter how nice and or attractive the facility might be, the staff will make the difference between your loved one being cared for and encouraged, or not.

A nursing home is best suited for someone:

• Who requires daily health care – such as assistance getting in and out of bed; taking medicine; or using the restroom.
• Who may have dementia or Alzheimer’s and as a result, is unable to eat and or bathe daily without reminder or assistance;
• Who is recovering from a fall or accident and is therefore unable to walk, dress and or eat without assistance

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY

“Assisted living facility” means an adult care residence which has been licensed by the Virginia Department of Social Services to provide a level of service for adults who may have physical or mental impairments and require at least moderate assistance with the activities of daily living. Within assisted living, there are two types: regular assisted living for those seniors (typically) who need assistance with one or more daily activity; and intensive assisted living for someone who may be incapable of performing activities due to mental and/or severe physical impairment (12VAC30-120-450).

The Virginia Department of Social Services licenses assisted living facilities but does not regulate in the way the Department of Health regulates nursing homes. While there are Virginia guidelines regulating aspects of assisted living facilities, they are limited: An assisted living facility must: (a) provide or coordinate personal and health care services; and (b) provide 24-hour supervision.

As reflected in the table below, assisted living facilities have no obligation to provide health care and/or have health care staff available to assist your loved one. In addition, with no obligation to provide such services, there is the question as to whether or not they owe a duty to warn or treat residents with illnesses or diseases that could be transmitted from other residents.

While a nursing home will have many nurses on staff and doctors hired to monitor the residents, assisted living is more analogous to an apartment building or college dorm where laundry and food services are provided and residents are on their own for the rest of the day.

An assisted living Facility is best suited for someone:

• Who is basically independent but may not be able or willing to prepare their own food or drive to doctors’ appointments;
• Someone who wants to scale back and anticipates needing assistance with laundry, cooking, etc. in the near future.
• A couple where one spouse is independent but may need assistance in feeding and or providing for needs of other spouse.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

In Virginia you may also see advertisements for a retirement community. They are popping up all around our favorite College Towns and Tourist destinations.

A Continuing Care Retirement Community provides care depending on your current needs. Like an insurance policy, the resident pays an entrance fee and periodic adjustable payments, which in turn gives the resident a package of residential and healthcare services that the CCRC is obligated to provide at the time these residential and health care services are required. For example, if upon entering, all you want is help with your meals, that is the only service which will be provided. If you require intensive physical therapy or God forbid, daily assistance for a Dementia patient, the CCRC has assisted living services or nursing home services available under your contract. Continuing care contracts are regulated by the Virginia Bureau of Insurance of the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

Many CCRCs can have nursing home services available either on-site, or at licensed facilities off-site (12VAC5-360-10). While you may be entering the Retirement Community as a very healthy independent and capable resident, as your needs change, so will your contract with the Community and in turn, the facility’s obligations to you.

A Continuing Care Retirement Community Facility is best suited for someone:

• Who is basically independent but anticipates the need for daily health care for themselves or a spouse in the near future;
• Someone who is physically disabled and would be unable to care for themselves or a spouse if the disability grew worse.

With at least three very different choices, it is very important to do your research:

To research assisted living facilities in Virginia, go to Department of Social Services website: http://www.dss.state.va.us/facility/search/alf.cgi.

To research nursing homes, go to Medicare’s website: http://www.medicare.gov

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

It is always best to speak to a family member of a current resident and spend time getting to know the staff, no matter what type of facility you are looking into. If looking and researching is not enough, then consider the chart below – a comparison of the legal duties of a nursing home compared to the legal duties of an assisted living facility in Virginia.

DUTY or REQUIREMENT

NURSING HOME

ASSISTED LIVING

Duty to provide nursing care and or monitor resident’s health?

YES

NO

Doctor required to supervise residents?

YES

NO

Each resident shall be under the care of a physician licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine?

YES

NO

Must have nurses on staff?

YES

NO

Must offer rehabilitative services?

YES

NO

Must have ongoing consultation from a registered dietitian or dietitian on staff?

YES

NO

24 Hour Supervision required?

YES

YES

Must develop a written plan upon admission of resident?

YES

YES

Staff must undergo criminal background check?

YES

YES

Monitored by Virginia Center for Quality Health Care Services and Consumer Protection

YES

NO

Monitored by Department of Social Services

NO

YES

*Life expectancy increased dramatically during the past century, from 47 years for Americans born in 1900 to 77 years for those born in 2001. These same factors—improved medical care and prevention efforts— that are partly responsible for the dramatic increases in life expectancy have also produced a major shift in the leading causes of death in the United States in the past century, from infectious diseases and acute illnesses to chronic diseases and degenerative illnesses.” The State of Aging and Health in America 2004, published by the Center for Disease Control, available at http://www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/State_of_Aging_and_Health_in_America_2004.pdf.

**See generally, Virginia Code §32.1-123, as amended and Virginia Administrative Code § 12VAC5-360-10.

***It is a Felony under Virginia law to operate a nursing facility without a license. See generally, 12VAC5-371-30.

A funeral home is a business that offers a variety of burial and funeral services intended to help families dispose of their loved one’s remains in the manner of their choosing. There are a considerable number of goods and services offered by a funeral home, but not all will be selected by individual families. Each family is unique, each death is unique, and therefore each funeral service is unique. The type of goods and services chosen by the family will also be unique, depending on the wishes of the family and/or of the deceased. Families can customize the funeral service according to their needs, choosing from a range of services that best honor their loved one’s memory.

The death of a loved one is a difficult time for families, and many people are unsure about the process of planning a funeral. Typically, the family will work closely with a funeral director, who will ensure that their loved one’s funeral services are planned in accordance with their wishes. The funeral director can help them choose the best services to honor their loved one in the most solemn, memorable and dignified way possible. Below are just some of the many services available at most funeral homes:

Retrieval and Embalming of the Body: The funeral home is responsible for retrieving the corpse from the place of death (hospital, house, nursing home, etc.) and transporting it to the funeral home. It is in the funeral home where the body will be prepared for proper disposition. The funeral director will explain all of the available options to the family, and help them in making the right choices for their loved one, including whether there will be a viewing of the body or whether the body is to be embalmed before the burial. If the body is to be cremated, the funeral home is responsible for transporting the body to the crematorium, if they do not operate one on-site, and retrieving the remains after the procedure.

Preparation and Handling of the Body: Funeral home staff are responsible for handling the body with the utmost dignity and respect at all times while your loved one is being prepared for the funeral. This includes not only washing and embalming of the body, but also preparing the body for viewing. Funeral home staff will perform such services as dressing the body, hairdressing, putting on makeup for a life-like look, and placing the body inside the casket for viewing and burial. The family needs to be assured that the deceased person will be handled with the utmost care and respect during this process.

Processing of Paperwork: Documentation upon the death of a loved one can be overwhelming to grieving family members. Death certificates, special permits, and authorizations are just some of the paperwork that needs to be completed and filed for the deceased. The funeral director will gather information from the family to prepare the necessary paperwork, and ensure that all the paperwork is filled out and duly filed with the appropriate authorities. As many members of the family may want a copy of a death certificate, the funeral home must secure the correct number of certified copies of the death certificate to be given to the requesting parties. It is also the responsibility of the funeral home to transmit obituaries to newspapers and other news media so that relatives, colleagues, and friends of the deceased will be aware of the planned funeral service.

Funeral Planning and Concierge Services: The funeral director will help the family decide upon the details of the funeral service, and ensure that all funeral details are carried out according to the family’s wishes. This includes arrangements for the where the funeral will be held, where the memorial service will be held, and whether the body or cremated remains will be buried, scattered, or disposed of by some other method. The funeral home will also assist the family in ordering the flowers needed during the service, the casket or urn to house their loved one, and other arrangements for the funeral service. Most funeral homes also offer a car service to pick up relatives at the airport and a concierge service to make hotel and restaurant reservations for the incoming family members.

Funeral homes provide a range of services that can help a grieving family make the right choices when planning their loved one’s funeral. It is important for funeral directors and staff to offer compassionate care and understanding to the grieving family.