Monthly Archives: February 2021

funeral homes Mentor, OH

Important Questions About Your Loved One’s Final Wishes

Discussing funeral homes Mentor, OH will never be easy. However, broaching the subject of last wishes with the loved one who is dying is a gift for them and yourself. Knowing that the family is going to give an honorable closure to their lives can give them emotional satisfaction and courage to live the last days in peace.

It’s always uncomfortable to talk about preplanning a funeral but you can make it a smooth and pleasant conversation if you know the right questions to ask.

Kick-off your conversation with the below questions.

  • Do You have a Will?

Only about 42% of American adults have a will – while the number is higher, as expected, for adults having children under age 18. A will is a legal document that outlines what happens to your estate or property after you die.

Other important matters pertaining to children’s caretaker and closing estate affairs are mentioned in the will. So, if your loved one doesn’t have a will, help them meet a lawyer and articulate one. It can give them a sense of satisfaction and inner contentment.

  • Do You Want a Traditional Burial or Cremation?

Your emotions can and will run high while asking this question but you should try to do it anyway. Cremation and burial are the two most common funeral types in America. Both can occur immediately after death – with or without memorial service.

Find out what your loved one wants to do with their body after death and what services they want to include during the funeral and/or memorial service. Write down every detail they mention and assure them that you’re going to honor their wishes.

  • Do You Have Power of Attorney?

Power of Attorney (POA) is legal a document that allows a person to give another person legal authority to make decisions on his/her behalf. It is extremely important to have a POA when one’s health is deteriorating or becomes incapacitated, both mentally or physically. The POA, rather than your State, will manage their legal and medical affairs.

Similarly, financial power of attorney, unlike POA, is responsible for managing only financial matters or estate affairs on behalf of another person near to dying.

  • Have You got Your Financial House in Order?

When a person dies, all of their financial affairs need to be closed within days, and that can require hectic paperwork. The details of the bank accounts, insurances, debts and loans, assets, securities, real estate, and other personal properties have to be put taken care of by the family.

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Ask your loved one to put together all financial information in a single secure place to make it easier for the family to access them after their death and fill in the mandatory paperwork, like closing bank accounts and claiming the insurance, if any.

Death is an inevitable reality and we all have to face it at some point. Asking end-of-life questions from your loved one is always difficult, but makes it easier for the bereaved family to give the perfect tribute to the deceased and take care of his/her unfinished financial and legal affairs. Funeral homes Mentor, OH, can help you arrange the details.

Cremation services in Mentor, OH

How to Support a Dying Friend

Cremation services in Mentor, OH are the last part of the common death rituals many people follow. The pain of losing a loved one and planning or attending this memorial cannot be described in words. Death is inevitable and we all have to face it eventually. The one thing the dying wants is the presence of close ones nearby to share and relive the good old memories, to have one last laugh, to know that someone will remember them after their passing. That’s why you should go and visit a friend if you care about them as friendship is all about supporting a person during both good and bad times.

Here are some of the reasons why you should visit a dying friend and how can you overcome the anxiousness that accompanies this visit.

Give Your Friend Strength and Solace

Many people feel anxious to visit a dying friend as they don’t want to face or say goodbye to her. The very acknowledgment of the fact that someone is about to die can make most feel uncomfortable – and it’s natural. You may feel weak and restless knowing you can’t do anything to help the friend. But just imagine the comfort and solace your visit will bring to the friend. You don’t need to talk about death or say goodbye; just being there and having a conversation like a friend will give enough them enough strength and comfort to passing through that critical time.

Follow Their Lead

You need to control your emotions and be as supportive as you can be. Don’t take the lead yourself; instead, respect the patient’s choice and let them set the topic of discussion or standard of interaction. If they want to talk about illness, let be it; if they want to avoid that topic, then find other topics that give them comfort and a few moments of happiness.

Don’t Keep Quiet, Speak

The most awkward part of visiting a dying friend is starting the conversation. Your friend may also feel awkward about what to say. No matter how difficult it’s for you to talk to a dying friend, you have to speak. The easiest way is to start asking questions on random subjects to get rid of the elephant in the room. Don’t directly jump onto the topic of illness or death, instead, let them decide what they want to talk about.

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Speak Less, Listen More

That’s the rule, you have to listen more to the friend and speak less. The very purpose of visiting is to let them express their feelings out, share their memories, and wishes. Those last few minutes of your company should be all about the dying friend. Once you have initiated a conversation, just be there, holding their hand and let them speak whatever they want to.

And lastly, you have to control your emotion say a final goodbye to your friend. It should be heartfelt. A final goodbye can make both you and your dying friend feel better. Cremation services in Mentor, OH, are the final step.

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Deep Diving into Arranging a Cremation

In the last few years, many Americans have been turning to cremation as a cheap and quicker alternative to burial services at funeral homes Mentor, OH. Despite the widespread acceptance of cremation, many people are unfamiliar with basic ins and outs.

So, if you’ve never been to a cremation funeral then you probably have a lot of unanswered questions about arranging a cremation.

  • Get in Contact with Funeral Homes

The first you should be taking is to contact two or more funeral homes and ask what services they offer. Remember, you have got various options to cremate the lost loved one’s body. The common options are direct cremation, green cremation, and liquid cremation. The last two are more expensive yet eco-friendly options.

  • Arrange Transportation

After choosing a funeral for cremation and the type of services you want, you need to arrange transportation to carry the deceased’s body from the hospital to the funeral home.

Many funeral homes offer this service as well, along with obtaining a death certificate and handling necessary paperwork. Confirm all the details with your funeral director.

  • Get a Medical Certificate

If a funeral home is not offering the service of obtaining the medical certificate of your loved one, then you need to contact the hospital and ask for the medical certificate. A doctor will confirm the death of the person along with the cause of death.

In specific cases, you’ll have to obtain the coroner’s report for post mortem examination.

  • Obtaining Paperwork for Cremation

Now, you have to apply for the authorization of the cremation of the deceased. The forms include a death certificate, an authorization letter from a doctor, crematorium managers, and funeral directors.

Check if your state has any specific formalities for authorizing cremation. Your funeral director will offer your all the required guidance to complete the necessary paperwork.

  • Choose and Buy a Casket or Alternative Container

It is mandatory to cremate the deceased in a water-proof, rigid, and combustible container. It’s up to you to choose a casket or alternative container of the right size. Buying a simple cardboard casket can save you money compared to if you buy a hemp casket.

Ask the funeral home to provide various options and choose the one that suits you. Similarly, choose and buy an urn to store the remains after cremation.

  • Want Witnessing Service or Not

You need to decide if you want to witness service or not for the lost loved one. Consult with the rest of the immediate family before landing on a decision. But remember, not all funeral homes offer this service, so confirm it beforehand.

  • What to Do with the Ashes

After the cremation, the funeral home will return you the remains of the deceased in the urn you have chosen. You need to decide what to do with them; you can scatter them in the sea or from the air, bury them in some special site, preserve them at home, to mention a few options.

Whatever you choose to do with the ashes, it should be in line with the last wishes of the loved one, if any, and should give them the tribute they deserve. Funeral homes Mentor, OH, can help you plan the details.

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How to Practice Self-Care After a Loss

Cremation services Willoughby Hills, OH, and the associated grieving can create the most overwhelming period of one’s life. Grief is a natural outcome of losing someone close to your heart and is necessary to accelerate the healing process.

However, it’s vital not to let grief overcome you or affect your personal or professional life, and self-care is the best way to ensure that.

Self-care is listening and responding to the needs of your body and mind. It’s the only way to achieve a better mood, lower anxiety and depression levels, better mental and physical health, and it hastens the healing process.

Below are a few tips on how can you build your self-care routine while coping with the loss of a beloved.

Explore Nature

Nature refreshes our mind and helps us better come to terms with our loss, not to mention the positive effect it has on physical health. Even if you’re having daily morning walks, you need to explore the beauty of nature once or twice a month.

Get on your bike and take a trip to the suburbs of the city or go on a hike. Research shows that aesthetic scenes of nature provide solace in grief and bring positivity to your mood and ultimately, in life.

Listen to Music

For so many bereaved, music can be a natural remedy to overcome grief and anxiety. You can listen to sad sings and cry your eyes out, or play the instrumental or motivational song to make your outlook more positive and outgoing.

Most people tend to listen to the favorite playlist of the lost loved one as a way of remembering and honoring them.

Regardless of what type of music you hear, it’s bound to lighten up your mood and bring optimism to your life.

Eat Healthy Food

Grieving over a longer period takes a serious toll on your health. Never skip meals or resort or unhealthy food while coping with the loss of a loved one. Know exactly what your bodily needs are and eat food rich in energy.

Prepare a proper eating schedule, if you don’t have it already, and stick to it no matter how weak or down you may feel at times.

Exercise Daily

Exercise is the most important tool to get past the grief and the anxiety it may accompany. It helps keep your body mentally and physically fit and increases its ability to ward off negativity and depression from your life.

A regular morning walk is a good way to get back to your normal routine. You may join a gym or hire a professional couch to guide you and look after your physical fitness.

Find Humor in Life

Many people wrongly assume that indulging in fun activities after the loss is some sort of disrespect to the deceased. That can’t be any further from reality. It’s ok to enjoy the company of your friends that makes you feel strong and happy.

Attending late-night shows, your favorite sports or games, and cruising on road is guaranteed to bring much-needed novelty to your life. Planning or attending cremation services Willoughby Hills, OH, is easier when you’re practicing self-care.