If your loved one is cremated after their service at a funeral home in Oakland, CA you will have to collect their cremated remains. But how? Where? And from who?

This information about collecting cremains after a cremation or funeral home service is here to help guide you:

• Who can collect cremains? The deceased’s next of kin or a person designated by the next of kin are the only ones allowed to collect cremains. If you are the next of kin and can’t collect them for some reason, you can designate someone else to collect them for you by contacting the provider and providing their information and your permission for them to pick the cremains up.
• What are the steps for picking up cremains? Usually, the funeral director or cremation provider will call you to set up an appointment to collect the cremains. When you arrive, they director will show you the urn and cremation certificate, you will show your ID, and then you can take the cremains home. It’s always a good idea to bring someone with you when you pick up cremated remains as it can be a very emotional experience. Also, the exact process for picking up cremains may vary from provider to provider, so be sure to speak with your director.
• Can funeral home dispose of ashes? Funeral homes and cremation providers can dispose of ashes if they are unclaimed or the next of kin requests that service. Some have crypts or burial spaces for unclaimed ashes, and most will keep a record of what they do with the remains in case the family wants to know in the future.
• How long will a cremation provider or funeral home hold ashes? The exact length of time a funeral home or cremation provider will hold ashes varies from provider to provider and even from state to state. In some cases, it can be 60 days up to 4 years. If you need the funeral home to hold onto the cremated remains for you, just ask. Most funeral homes can accommodate you. However, high-volume funeral homes won’t always be able to hold onto cremains as they don’t have extra space. When the time limit passes, the provider can dispose of the ashes as they see fit.
• What happens to unclaimed cremated remains? Sadly, some cremains do go unclaimed. The most common reason is because the next of kin wanted the cremains shipped to them, but they never provided a shipping address or a payment method for the shipping costs. In these instances, the cremation provider will try and contact the next of kin, but if they do not receive a response, they will stop calling as it’s the responsibility of the next of kin to retrieve the cremains.

We are here to help if you have any other questions about cremated remains or Oakland, CA funeral homes. Please call or visit us today to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss or preplanning.