Monthly Archives: December 2018

How Do You Choose The Right Funeral Home?

There are tons of funeral homes in San Leandro, CA. How are you supposed to know which one to use, either for your future passing or for the recent loss of a loved one? This choice may seem especially difficult because most funeral homes seem to be very similar in services and costs at first glance. However, choosing a funeral home is very personal, as you need to make sure the one you choose matched with your preferences and needs.

When looking for a funeral home, you need to take the following into consideration:

Location – Sometimes this doesn’t mean closest to your home, as oftentimes funerals take place in different towns where the deceased wants to be buried, or where other family members live.
Services Offered – Make sure your funeral home offers the services you want. Such services include burial options like cremation, traditional burial, or green burial. They also include different technology like online obituaries, digital guest books or live streaming.
Service Prices – You’d be surprised how much funeral home prices vary. Be sure to shop around and get quotes from different homes to make sure you’re getting the best prices for services.
Product Prices – Caskets, urns and other funeral accessories and products can get pricey. Compare funeral home’s product prices as well.
Veteran Services – If you or your loved one served, that should be recognized in a special way. Check that funeral homes offer veteran services if applicable.
Cultural and Religious Needs – Make sure the funeral home you choose is able to provide you with your cultural and/or religious funeral needs.
Reviews – Research other customer’s experiences with funeral homes to gauge efficacy, pricing, compassion and more.

Its never fun to think about and plan for death, but its better to start looking for a funeral home now before you need one. This way, you wont be scrambling to find one if you lose a loved one, or your family won’t be stressed out looking for one for your funeral after you pass. You don’t want to be stuck with the easiest or most accessible funeral home when the time comes because you don’t have the time or money to find a better one.

Start gathering information on funeral homes in your area to get a head start on choosing one. When researching, look for things like:

Price Comparisons – Every funeral home is required, by law, to have and make accessible a general list of prices for their offered products and services.
Note Services Fees – What is and what is not included in services fees varies greatly from funeral home to funeral home.
Add Funeral Costs to Insurance – Add funeral insurance to your current life insurance policy.

If you want to learn more about San Leandro, CA funeral homes, contact Deer Creek Funeral Service. We’re located at 20630 Redwood Rd Castro Valley, CA 94546. Give us a call today at (510) 317-7890.

From Death To The Funeral Home

Death is never easy, but it becomes especially difficult when you’re faced with all the steps between your loved one’s death and the San Leandro, CA funeral home.

Use this list of 8 steps to help guide you through the process, and make your lost loved one’s funeral go smoothly.

Report the Death – The first step is to report the death to the proper authorities. If the death is at a hospital, nursing home, or hospice, the officials there will know what to do and will make the report for you. If you are at home, or have no other options, call 911.
Prepare To Work With A Funeral Director – You will need the assistance of a funeral director to complete the death certificate, transport and store the body. Take note if the deceased made pre-arrangements for his or her funeral, and be prepared to relay these wishes to the funeral director.
Pick a Type of Service – There are several service options you need to be prepared to choose from:
- Funerals, in which the service is held before the body is cremated or buried and the body is present
- Memorials, in which the service is help after the body is buried or cremated and therefore not present
- Graveside services in which the funeral takes place at the grave
Make Cemetery Arrangements – If you choose a burial rather than a cremation you will need to make cemetery arrangements. Decide where the burial will take place, and if necessary purchase a plot. If you’re unsure where to start, your funeral home will most likely be affiliated with a cemetery and can help you find a plot. You could also check with your church, synagogue or other place of worship for further guidance.
Make Funeral Arrangements – Feel free to get creative when making funeral arrangements to make the service personal and meaningful. Flowers, music, pre or post service events and other special touches help make the service personal for you and the deceased.
Plan Formal Transportation – If you choose to do a burial, you will need a hearse to move the body from the funeral location to the burial location. Most funeral homes have one available for use and will include that cost in the overall funeral bill.
Inform The Family and Write Death Notice – Personally inform all close family, friends and loved ones of the death, ideally over the phone or in person. If you’re nervous, take the time to write a script to help you make key points. Don’t forget to write and release a death notice to notify the rest of the friends, coworkers, associates etc.
List Pre-Funeral Tasks – Make a list of what you need to accomplish before the funeral to help you stay organized and not forget anything important. This list could include your attire, personal items or collecting photos.

Deer Creek Funeral Service, located at 20630 Redwood Rd Castro Valley, CA 94546, can help you with any other questions you may have about planning for funeral homes in San Leandro, CA. Please call us at (510) 317-7890 to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cremation

No one likes to talk about death or cremation in Walnut Creek, CA. That’s probably because there’s a lot people don’t know about cremation, and the unknown is frightening.

Make cremation less scary by learning more about it. A good place to start is with these frequently asked cremation questions and their answers.

What is Cremation? Cremation when a body is reduced to bone fragments and ash for its final disposition. The body is heated in a chamber from 1,500 to 2,000 degrees F until it breaks down. It usually takes about two to three hours for a full cremation for an average sized adult.
What Happens After Cremation? After the body is reduced to bone fragments via heat, the remains are swept into a container and cooled. Once cooled, they are inspected for items that weren’t reduced by the heat like medical devices, metal from clothing, etc. The remaining bone fragments are then put through a machine to be compressed to a consistent size of ash, placed in the chosen receptacle and given to the family.
How Can I expect My Loved One’s Cremated Remains to Look? Cremated remains look like ash, but with a light grey to white color. You can expect anywhere from 4 to 8 pounds of ash depending on how big your loved one was.
Are All The Remains Returned to My Family? All of the remains are returned except small particles that may have been drawn into the cremation or processing machines.
How Do I Know I’ll Get the Right Remains? Every cremation business has a series of checks and policies to ensure you get your loved one’s remains. These include positive identification at all stages of cremation, metal identification tags, and certified technicians.
What Do I Do With the Remains? There are many options for your loved one’s cremated remains. You can bury them in a cemetery, inter them in a columbarium, or scatter them on private property just to name a few. You can get as creative as you like.
Do I Have to Pay for an Urn? Cremated remains can be returned to you in a basic container that’s included in the cremation charge. You may purchase an urn or other receptacle if you so choose.
Can The Family Watch the Cremation? Cremation viewing may be available to family members if arranged in advance. Check with your cremation service for more information.
Do I Need A Cremation Casket? You do not need to purchase a traditional casket for cremation. You do need a rigid container for the body to be cremated in.
Can We Have A Funeral Before the Cremation? Embalming is required for a funeral or public visitation before cremation. But family members may view the deceased without prior embalming before the cremation process begins.

Cremation isn’t as frightening once you know more about it. If you have more questions, or want more information about Walnut Creek, CA cremation, please visit Deer Creek Funeral Service and 20630 Redwood Rd Castro Valley, CA 94546, or give us a call at (510) 317-7890.

Why Preplan Cremations?

While its never easy to think about your eventual passing, preplanning your cremation in Castro Valley, CA is one of the best things you can do for your family, and for yourself.

Preplanning for your cremation can help both you and your loved ones in many different ways. The benefits of preplanning a cremation include:

Easing Your Family’s Burden: Let your family know exactly what you want for your cremation so they don’t have to guess what to do after you’re gone, or spend time making painful decisions when they should be grieving with loved ones.
Making Sure Your Wishes Are Met: Make sure you get the exact cremation and memorial service you want by taking care of the details and clearly laying them out for your friends and family. This way they won’t be able to argue or disagree.
Creating a Meaningful Service: Memorial services are an important part of the grieving process, but your loved ones might miss out on the important benefits if they are too busy planning the event. Preplan so they don’t have to.
Maintaining Self-Reliance: Taking charge of your memorial services and cremation allows you to maintain control and independence when you might otherwise lose them. This is good for your mental health at the end of your life, and gives you more self-reliance.
Financial Responsibility: You can plan for how to cover the cremation costs in advance to make it easier for your family’s bank accounts and stress levels. Look into cremation insurance or funeral trusts to help ensure financial ease for your cremation and service.

These are just a few of the ways preplanning your cremation can help both you and your family. But how do you go about preplanning a cremation?

The first step is to make some choices. Think about what you want for your cremation, and be prepared to make choices such as:

Choose what to do with your remains, from burial and scattering to more non-traditional methods of body disposal like a biodegradable urn or water internment.
Pick out your memorial theme, like military, religious, or non-traditional.
Decide between a funeral home or crematory for your cremation and service.
Detail memorial or funeral specifications like preferred music, desired readings, special decorations and video displays.
Choose your final resting place. There are a ton of options, but the main ones include: a family plot or mausoleum, columbarium, or cremation urn.

Preplanning your cremation isn’t as hard or overwhelming as you would think once you get started, and it can only help you and your loved ones after your death.

If you do need more assistance with preplanning, Deer Creek Funeral Service can help. We have years of experience with Castro Valley, CA cremations, and would be happy to help you however we can. Please stop by and visit us at 20630 Redwood Rd Castro Valley, CA 94546. You can also give us a call at (510) 317-7890 to learn more.

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