faqs

What should I do first when a loved one dies?
   Immediately upon death, medical authorities must verify the death and the cause. If the death occurs after an illness, call the physician or nursing agency that has been in attendance. (If you wish, the funeral director will do this for you.) If someone is stricken unexpectedly in the home or in another non-medical setting, call 911. If the police are involved, the body may be taken to the coroner's office.
   If there is doubt about the exact cause of death, medical authorities may order an autopsy to be performed. You also may ask the physician or hospital to arrange for an autopsy if you want assurance about the cause of death.
   Another possible consideration immediately after death is an anatomical gift, which may be a gift of life to someone in need. Speak to the attending physician if you wish to consider donating organs (heart, kidney, liver, etc.) or tissue (skin, bone, cornea, etc.) for transplant or research purposes. After such procedures, the body still can be prepared for funeral services.
   Next call the funeral establishment of your choice. (Call more than one if you wish to compare prices or services.)
   Don't feel rushed to act immediately if death occurs in a hospital; it generally will hold the body for 24 to 72 hours. If you desire a viewing or embalming, however, deciding sooner is better. By Maryland law, only a licensed mortician may make funeral arrangements for compensation. If your choice is CAFA, we stand ready to assist you at any time.

What should I bring to the arrangements conference?
Bring along any written advance directives by the deceased regarding his or her disposition or memorialization. These may be in the form of a will, witnessed disposition directive, funeral pre-arrangements, or pre-need contract. If the deceased was a veteran, bring the discharge papers (DD214).
The director also will need the following information about the deceased:

Full name

Address

Marital status (single, married, widowed, or divorced)

Social Security number

Date of birth

Place of birth (city and state)

Number of years of schooling

Armed Forces service dates, serial number

Occupation (not just workplace)

Father's name

Mother's maiden name

Next of kin and other survivors
   With this information the funeral director will fill out the death certificate, obtain the necessary medical data and physician's signature, and file the certificate with the state Division of Vital Records for processing.
   You will need certified copies of the completed death certificate for closing bank accounts, making life insurance claims, transferring automobile titles, and settling matters surrounding property, probate court, and so on. The funeral director can assist you in ordering and obtaining these copies. The director also will work with you to arrange for a newspaper notice or obituary and to file all necessary forms.
   In addition, you should bring with you a recent photograph of the deceased as well as clothing and any personal effects of the deceased that you wish to be used for viewing and/or burial.

What if death occurs, or the burial is to take place, out of town?
With your consent, the director will contact a reputable firm in the other locality to arrange for transportation and all other necessary services. If you want a direct cremation, you can reduce expenses by dealing directly with a firm in the locality where death occurs.

Is embalming required?
No, embalming is not required by law except under certain circumstances. Embalming disinfects the body and replaces certain fluids with chemicals. This helps preserve the body for a few days so that the deceased may be viewed before burial or cremation. If you select embalming, a funeral director will attend to it personally, professionally, and with care. The funeral director will advise you in this matter. Cosmetics, hairstyling, dressing, and casketing are additional options.

Should we have a viewing?
Seeing the body can be difficult but also therapeutic. This experience, available before either cremation or burial, can take many forms. One or two people may make a brief identification of the deceased (required before cremation), usually without any preparation of the body. The family and invited friends may have a private viewing with limited preparation. Or you may have a more formal public visitation. If you do not want a viewing, you still may have calling hours for the family with a closed casket or the cremated remains present. Many families also enjoy displaying photographs or meaningful possessions from the life of the deceased.

What occurs during the cremation process?
In one to three hours, the cremation process accomplishes what nature takes several decades to do: return the human form to its elements. A flame reaching temperatures of 1400 to 1800 degrees Farenheit reduces the body (along with any combustible possessions left on or with the body) to bone particles and fragments. The fragments then are processed further to reduce them to uniform particles, with a total weight of 4 to 8 pounds.
For some religious and ethnic groups, being in attendance when the cremation takes places is important. Because it has its own crematory, Chesapeake Crematory, CAFA can accommodate these requests.

Who can authorize a cremation?
   A much-needed Maryland law, passed in 1994, spelled out family rights and responsibilities in mortuary disposition decisions. As a result, advance directives given by the deceased before death are legally paramount. Anyone 18 or older may decide whether or not his or her body will be cremated after death. Those wishes should be put in writing and the signature witnessed.
   When there is no advance directive, the decision regarding disposition falls to the next of kin. All close relatives should be consulted. The funeral director can help answer any questions that may come up.
   Maryland law also specifies that cremation may not occur within twelve hours of death, or until the body has been identified. In addition, the crematory requires that any pacemaker or other mechanical or radioactive device or implant be removed prior to cremation.

Is cremation less expensive?
Yes, cremation is normally the least expensive alternative for disposition of the body (other than donation to a medical school), because the crematory fee is much lower than those charged by cemeteries for burial or entombment. The cost of mortuary services before or after a cremation depends on the choices of the family. If your choice of establishment is CAFA, you may obtain services at prices lower than those of traditional funeral homes.

Does CAFA return all the cremation remains to the survivors?
Yes. Recoverable cremation remains, commonly called "ashes," will be placed in the container of your choice. The family is called to pick up the filled container at CAFA at their convenience. Or, for an additional charge, it may be delivered to them or to the final resting place.

Can I be sure these are the ashes of the deceased?
Yes. Whatever the choice of disposition, legal regulations and strict professional ethics ensure that the remains of the deceased are cared for with dignity and respect. All cremations are performed individually. And our crematory uses metal identification tags to preserve a careful chain of custody of the remains.

What should we do with the ashes?
   Many choose to bury the ashes in their container in a family cemetery plot. Some cemeteries require an urn vault for burial. The urn also may be placed in a niche within a columbarium, mausoleum, or church. A small engraved plaque may be ordered for the urn, grave, or niche.
   Some people want the cremated remains scattered. This may be done in a special cemetery garden, at sea, or at some other place of special significance. If you choose scattering, you still may wish to designate a place of permanent memorial and mark it with a plaque, a tree planted in remembrance, or some other means.
   Some families want to keep the urn somewhere special at home. At CAFA we will be happy to discuss any other alternatives or requests you have may have, and if possible arrange to carry out your wishes.

Do you handle pet cremations?
No, but we're affiliated with a company that does: Chesapeake Pet Crematory, 10771 Tucker Street, Beltsville, MD 20705, telephone 301-937-3187. Rates are competitive. Urns, pick-up, and delivery are available. Pet cremations are done individually, using equipment designed specifically for pets, not the equipment used for humans.

What are my choices for memorial ceremonies?
Your options for memorial ceremonies are virtually unlimited. The traditional funeral is a solemn contemplation of death and the afterlife. Today's personalized services can permit a more expressive sharing of feelings. And they may focus less on mourning the death than on celebrating the life that was lived.
The ceremony may be public or private, formal or informal. It may be held at the funeral establishment, in church, at graveside, at some place of special significance, or a combination of the above. It may revolve around an open casket, a closed casket, the cremated remains, or a display of photographs or other memorabilia. And it may occur before the burial or cremation, days or weeks afterward, or both.
Elements of a ceremony may include a religious service, vocal or instrumental music (perhaps favorites of the deceased), and readings of eulogies, prayers or poems. Individuals may be invited to share something they recall or treasured about the deceased..

What financial help may be available to help cover the costs?
You may be eligible for assistance from a number of sources:

U.S. Social Security: If the deceased earned sufficient wages during his or her lifetime, a surviving spouse or dependent child may receive a lump-sum death benefit of $255. In addition, survivors may receive all or part of the Social Security benefits that would have gone to the deceased. The funeral director will give you the necessary information to apply for these benefits. Further information is available from Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. Or go to the Social Security Administration's web site at www.ssa.gov/.

Veteran's Administration: Depending on the circumstances, funds may be available to help pay funeral and burial expenses of United States veterans. You may also obtain without cost a U.S. flag, a grave marker, and possibly interment in a U.S. National Cemetery or state-funded veterans' cemetery. In some cases, the widow or survivor may also receive further benefits. For further information, call Veterans Affairs at (410) 962-4700. Or go to the VA's web site at www.va.gov/vbs/.

Maryland benefits: Persons receiving public assistance or Supplemental Security Income (SSI, from Social Security), as well as children in foster care, are eligible for a state grant up to $650 provided that the funeral expenses do not excede $1500.
Keep in mind that all of these benefits are subject to change. The funeral director can assist you in obtaining current information.
Other possible sources of assistance that should be explored include union or employer pension funds; life, health, accident, or even auto insurance; worker's compensation; churches or synagogues; charities; and fraternal orders or professional associations. Also keep in mind the special bereavement fares of many airlines for family members traveling from a distance.

Where else can I find consumer information on funerals?
Other sources of information include the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov/bcp/rulemaking/funeral/), the Funeral and Memorial Societies of America (www.funerals.org/famsa), and the Funeral Help Program (www.dragonet.com/funeral/).

Other resources about funerals include: