Frequently Asked
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Below is a list of questions and responses that we commonly receive at the funeral home. We will continue to include any new questions in this section that we feel would be helpful to others.
If you have a question that has not been covered in this site we would like to hear from you. You may use the "Ask the Director" section of our site to forward your question or comments to us.
If you would prefer to call us on the telephone, our staff would be pleased to provide an answer to any funeral related matter you may have. If we do not have the answer immediately, we will find it for you and contact you the minute the information is in our hands.
| Question #1 | What purpose does a funeral serve? |
| Answer: | It is the customary way to recognize death and its finality. Funerals are recognized rituals for the living to show respect for the dead and to help survivors begin the grief process. |
| Question #2 | I've never arranged a funeral before. What do I need to know? |
| Answer: | At some time in our lives, most of us will make or assist in making funeral arrangements. This will not be an easy time, but we offer these tips for smart planning: -Be an informed consumer and ask questions -Choose an independent funeral home and a licensed funeral director -Discuss all service and payment options during the funeral arrangements -Make sure you receive a copy of the funeral home's General Price List -Be prepared and make decisions and organize details in advance of need -Plan a personalized and meaningful ceremony to help you begin healing |
| Question #3 | What do funeral directors do? |
| Answer: | Funeral directors are caregivers and administrators. They make the arrangements for transportation of the deceased, complete all necessary paperwork, and implement the choices made by the family regarding the funeral and final disposition of the decedent. Funeral directors are listeners, advisors and supporters. They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with death. Funeral directors are trained to answer questions about grief, recognize when a person is having difficulty coping, and recommend sources of professional help. Funeral directors also link survivors with support groups at the funeral home or in the community. |
| Question #4 | Do you have to have a funeral director to bury the dead? |
| Answer: | In most states, family members may bury their own dead although regulations vary. However, most people find it very trying to be solely responsible for arranging the details and legal matters surrounding a death. In some states, a burial permit is required. The burial permit requires a death certificate that must be signed by a funeral director. |
| Question #5 | Why have a public viewing? |
| Answer: | Viewing is part of many cultural and ethnic traditions. Many grief specialists believe that viewing aids the grief process by helping the bereaved recognize the reality of death. Viewing is encouraged for children, as long as the process is explained and the activity voluntary. |
| Question #6 | What types of funeral services exist? |
| Answer: | Every family is different, and not everyone wants the same type of funeral. Funeral practices are influenced by religious and cultural traditions, costs and personal preferences. These factors help determine whether the funeral will be elaborate or simple, public or private, religious or secular, and where it will be held. They also influence whether the decedent will be present at the funeral, if there will be a viewing or visitation, and if so, whether the casket will be open or closed, and whether the decedent will be buried or cremated. |
| Question #7 | What is the purpose of embalming? |
| Answer: | Embalming sanitizes and preserves the decedent, retards the decomposition process, and enhances the appearance of a decedent disfigured by traumatic death or illness. Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and the final disposition, thus allowing family members time to arrange and participate in the type of service most comforting to them. |
| Question #8 | Is embalming required by law? |
| Answer: | No. Most states, however, require embalming when death was caused by a reportable contagious disease, or when the decedent is to be transported from one state to another by common carrier, or if final disposition is not to be made within a prescribed number of hours. |
| Question #9 | Is cremation a substitute for a funeral? |
| Answer: | No, cremation is an alternative to earth burial or entombment for the decedent's final disposition and often follows a traditional funeral service. As more people are choosing cremation, funeral service professionals are striving to give consumers a true sense of what their many options are for a funeral service. Often funeral directors find that people have a preconception that they have fewer choices for a ceremony when selecting cremation for themselves or a loved one. Therefore, they request direct cremation and deny the surviving friends and family an opportunity to honor them with a memorial service. In actuality, cremation is only part of the commemorative experience. In fact, cremation can actually increase your options when planning a funeral. Cremation gives people the flexibility to search for types of tributes that reflect the life being honored. But this doesn't mean that aspects of traditional funeral services have to be discarded. Even with cremation, a meaningful memorial that is personalized to reflect the life of the deceased could include: A visitation prior to the service An open or closed casket Special music A ceremony at the funeral chapel, your place of worship or other special location Participation by friends and family Commonly, the cremated decedent is placed in an urn and committed to an indoor or outdoor mausoleum or columbarium; interred in a family burial plot; or included in a special urn garden. Cremation also gives families the option to scatter the decedent. This can be done in a designated cemetery garden or at a place that was special to the person. Today, cremated remains can even become part of an ocean reef or made into diamonds. |
| Question #10 | Where can I get more information on cremation? |
| Answer: | We can assist you with the necessary information for a funeral or memorial service with a cremation. For more technical information about the cremation process, we encourage you to view information on-line at the National Funeral Directors Association. |
| Question #11 | What should I do if a death occurs at home |
| Answer: | When death occurs, Buranich Funeral Home personnel are available to assist you at any hour, seven days a week. Call (315) 487-2412 for assistance. We will help coordinate arrangements with the cemetery, church and clergy. |
| Question #12 | Will someone come right away? |
| Answer: | If you request immediate assistance, yes. If the family wishes to spend a short time with the deceased to say good bye, that is also acceptable. Buranich Funeral Home staff will come when the time is right for you. |
| Question #13 | If a loved one dies out of state, can the local funeral home still help? |
| Answer: | When death occurs away from home, Buranich Funeral Home can assist you with out-of-state arrangements and transfer the deceased to a preferred location. Call (315) 487-2412 for assistance. |
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