Losing a loved one is never easy. Grief is a natural response to death, and every person has a different way of getting through the grieving process. If you are the one in charge of handling the affairs of the deceased, you may not feel like you have enough time to properly grieve. This guide is designed to ease this process so you can get to a better state in life as quickly as possible.
What To Do After A Loved One Dies
Being prepared after the death of a loved one will give you more time to properly grieve. Follow these steps to make the process as smooth as possible.
Step 1 – Choose A Funeral Home
You will need to select a funeral home on the day of death to best preserve the person’s body. If you have time to make this decision before the passing, do so. Look for a funeral home that has been in business for a while, and make sure they work with modern equipment that can handle the job. Compare prices, credentials, and funeral supplies, and get recommendations from local hospice care providers. They know which funeral companies you can trust.
Step 2 – Plan The Funeral Or Memorial
If you are going to bury your loved one, you will need to set a date for the burial and plan a funeral around it. This will most likely include a viewing session the day before where family and friends can see the person and share memories about him or her. Your funeral plans should also include a service of some sort before the burial, be it religious-based or otherwise. You may also consider a reception afterward, which will include catering and perhaps a slideshow of the deceased.
If you are going to cremate the person, you will still need to set up a memorial service for him or her. You will not be under the same time constraints as you would be with a funeral, so you can pick a day that best works for everyone. Find a place to hold the memorial and prepare a speech or sermon of some sort to honor the person’s life. As with the funeral, you may plan for a reception afterward.
Step 3 – Notify Friends And Family
Once you have all the plans in place, all you need to do is notify the people you feel would want to come. Send out letters and get an obituary in the newspaper to alert the community about the passing and funeral. Then recheck all of your reservations before the big day, just to make sure nothing goes wrong. If everything goes as planned, you should be able to reminisce about the wonderful memories you had with your late loved one and find a new “normal” in life.