At Cremation Society of America, one question that we’re often asked by clients is “Can I witness the Direct Cremation of my loved one in person?” Many may envision themselves accompanying their loved one’s casket as it moves through the cremation process at the crematory.

The truth is that you cannot be present during a Direct Cremation. Why not?

Direct cremation, as we’ve explained here, is a simpler, more “direct” alternative to traditional cremation services. Once you’ve chosen a Direct Cremation provider and confirmed the arrangements, your provider will take care of the rest. Your provider will collect your loved one from their place of passing and transport him/her to the crematorium, where your loved one will be prepared to receive a solemn and dignified Cremation. Once the Cremation is completed, your loved one’s ashes will be returned to you.

While some traditional funeral homes allow families to be present in the room during a loved one’s cremation, it is not possible to attend a Direct Cremation.

The Direct Cremation process and procedures do not support or accommodate family and loved ones witnessing the actual Cremation. One of the many advantages of a Direct Cremation is that families have nearly limitless options to arrange for a memorial at the place and time of their choosing. This allows for family and friends to honor your loved one when they might otherwise not be able to secure travel arrangements in time to attend a traditional funeral service.

Traditional funeral or memorial services arranged through funeral homes are at he mercy of the funeral home’s tight schedule and inflexible timetable. With Direct Cremation, you and your family can plan a memorial as soon after Cremation as you like—or be more deliberate and take your time to give distant relatives a chance to make travel arrangements in order to attend.

Even though you and your family cannot attend the Cremation itself, there are almost infinite  ways to honor the memory of your loved one. Here are just a few examples:

• Scatter Ashes on land (with permission from the appropriate local authorities), at Sea or from an airplane
• Trenching on Your Property to place ashes inside a long, narrow hole dug int the ground in a favorite location
• Inter your loved one’s ashes in a Columbarium or Mausoleum
• Simply keep your loved one’s ashes in an urn or vessel in your home or office
• Incorporate your loved one’s ashes into jewelry, art or even a tattoo

Cremation Society of America (“CSA”) is your trusted provider of Cremation services. Since we at CSA focus solely on Cremation – and leave funerals, burials and ceremonies to others – we can offer cost-effective Cremation services without sacrificing the dignity or solemnity of your love one.

We offer the most efficient online process in the industry as well as 24 x 7 Cremation Consultants who are ready to answer any and all questions during such a troubling time for your family.

Please Contact CSA for more information regarding our Direct Cremation services and our industry-leading identification protocols to provide you with peace of mind. CSA can also help you Pre-Plan all of your Direct Cremation services to meet your needs. We look forward to being of service to you and your family.

What is a Death Certificate?

Here at Cremation Society of America, one of the questions most often asked of us is how to order a Death Certificate and why is it required for Direct Cremation.

A Death Certificate is an official document that serves as certified proof that someone has passed away. This document will be necessary for families or loved ones to close accounts, access insurance benefits and take similar legal steps. Death Certificates are also used by governmental agencies to track demographic trends locally and nationwide.

How many Death Certificates do I need?

A family or loved one will need a certified copy of a Death Certificate to close any financial services account or claim any benefit such as insurance proceeds after a loved one passes away. Some companies will require an original to access benefits such as pensions, insurance proceeds or property transfer. Other companies or entities may only require a photocopy/image of the Death Certificate to serve as proof. A good rule of thumb is to expect an original Death Certificate will be require to settle legal issues and a copy may be sufficient to resolve other matters.

The number of death certificates a family needs will depend on the number of assets, benefits and accounts that have been left to them. We recommend that you contact each of the companies/entities involved to confirm whether the company/entity will accept only an original death certificate or a copy of the death certificate.

How do I order a Death Certificate?

Once the death has been registered, Death Certificates can be ordered from several entities, including:

• The funeral home or Cremation provider that you choose
• The state or county in which the person passed away
• An online service such as VitalChek, a Lexis Nexis Company

There are two types of Death Certificates: Informational or Certified:

• Informational copies can be ordered by anyone
• To get a Certified copy, you must be closely related to the deceased

How long can I expect to wait to receive a Death Certificate?

There can be as many as four parties/entities/agencies involved in processing the first Death Certificate, which means that the time it takes to receive the Certificate may vary. You can expect a state agency to take 3 -6 weeks while a county agency may only take 2-4 weeks.

The following steps are typically required in order to produce a Death Certificate:

• The family or Next of Kin provides certain information about the deceased to confirm identity
• The primary care physician or attending physician confirms the cause of death to the funeral home or Cremation provider
• The funeral home/Cremation provider registers the death in the applicable county or jurisdiction
• The Death Certificates are printed and sent by the county or jurisdiction

The family and funeral home/Cremation provider typically provide their respective information within a day and don’t delay the process. If any delays are encountered, it’s usually with the physicians or the applicable county/jurisdiction.

We at Cremation Society of America do everything in our power to make the Death Certificate process as efficient as possible so that you and your family can address the matters at hand.

Call us today to request more information about our Direct Cremations or click here to order your Direct Cremation now using our industry-leading online ordering process.

Now that the Fall is upon us, our attention soon turns to the upcoming Holidays and planning our travel to visit family and friends.

What if a Loved One passes away while traveling to visit family? As we described in our Blog, “Direct Cremation”, sometimes called “Simple Cremation” or “Immediate Cremation” is when the cremation is performed soon after death, without a viewing, visitation or funeral service of any kind.

What if you’ve arranged for your Direct Cremation and you’re planning a trip across the United States to visit family for Thanksgiving or another holiday? What happens if you or a loved one passes away unexpectedly in another state that is thousands of miles away from home? How do you ensure that your loved one is returned home in a dignified manner? How much will such arrangements cost?

You’ll have to deal with the rules and regulations of the airlines when it comes to the transportation of your loved one’s remains – and the cost as well. You’ll also have to arrange for the remains to be transported to your pre-planned facility for cremation. And you’ll need to manage these issues during a time of sudden and likely overwhelming grief.

A Travel Protection Plan can save time, stress, and cost for you or your next-of-kin should your death occur while traveling away from your legal residence. Most Travel Protection Plans will include many of the following services:

• Prepare remains for transport, regardless of where the remains are located worldwide
• Locate funeral home or direct disposition (cremation) facility
• Arrange for transportation of remains from place of death to funeral home or direct disposition (cremation) facility
• Purchase casket/air tray to meet transportation requirements, including international transportation
• Arrange and pay for transport to city of legal residence
• Secure and process all documentation required for remains transportation, including death certificate

Most Travel Protection Plans are triggered when the death occurs a certain number of miles away from the person’s legal residence. Be sure to review your Travel Protection Plan carefully for specific terms and conditions.

At a time of shock and grief, you or your loved ones would make just one phone call to activate the Plan. Once activated, the Plan agents immediately commence arrangements to provide you and your loved ones with peace of mind amidst the chaos of returning home from your journey.

Please contact CSA for more information regarding Travel Protection Plans and how such a plan can factor into your Pre-Panning strategy. We look forward to being of service to you and your family.

What if a Loved One Passes Away Outside the United States? As we described in our Blog, “Direct Cremation”, sometimes called “Simple Cremation” or “Immediate Cremation” is when the cremation is performed soon after death, without a viewing, visitation or funeral service of any kind. Let’s say that you’ve arranged for your Direct Cremation and you’re planning a trip to Europe. What happens if you or a loved one passes away unexpectedly in a foreign country? How do you ensure that your loved one is returned home in a dignified manner? How much will such arrangements cost?

As you might imagine, each country has its own laws and regulations pertaining to the preparation of a person’s remains before the remains can leave the country – not to mention the processing fees. Then, you’ll have to deal with the rules and regulations of the airlines when it comes to the transportation of your loved one’s remains – and the cost as well. Finally, you’ll have to arrange for the remains to be transported to your pre-planned facility for cremation.

A Travel Protection Plan can save time, stress, and cost for you or your next-of-kin should your death occur while traveling away from your legal residence. Most Travel Protection Plans will include many of the following services:

• Prepare remains for transport, regardless of where the remains are located worldwide
• Locate funeral home or direct disposition (cremation) facility
• Arrange for transportation of remains from place of death to funeral home or direct disposition (cremation) facility
• Purchase casket/air tray to meet transportation requirements, including international transportation
• Arrange and pay for transport to city of legal residence
• Secure and process all documentation required for remains transportation, including death certificate

Most Travel Protection Plans are triggered when the death occurs a certain number of miles away from the person’s legal residence. Be sure to review your Travel Protection Plan carefully for specific terms and conditions.

At a time of shock and grief, you or your loved ones would make just one phone call to activate the Plan. Once activated, the Plan agents immediately commence arrangements to provide you and your loved ones with peace of mind amidst the chaos of returning home from your journey.

Please contact CSA for more information regarding Travel Protection Plans and how such a plan can factor into your Pre-Panning strategy. We look forward to being of service to you and your family.

This is a sensitive and personal question that has become increasingly common over the past 25 years. When deciding between Cremation and Burial, there are certain factors that you will need to consider: Religious Beliefs, Cost, and Environmental Impact. As with any such arrangements, the question of Cremation or Burial should be is asked before death, as part of your pre-planning discussions. In cases where the deceased had not communicated or documented a preference prior to death, the surviving family must consider evaluate those as well as the stressful act of guessing the deceased’s wishes.

1. Religious Beliefs.

For many, the first factor is whether Cremation is a permitted or sanctioned by the faith practiced by the deceased. Views on Cremation vary by religion. Some religions prohibit the practice of Cremation, including Islam, certain Christian denominations and Eastern Orthodox Jews.

Other religions, especially the Roman Catholic Church, have increasingly permitted the practice of Cremation. Most other religions do not prohibit Cremation and leave the choice between Cremation and burial to the family.

If you have religious questions about cremation or are unsure as to the religious implications of Cremation, you should speak with religious leadership or designated advisors before planning a Cremation.

2. Cost.

When compared to Burial, Cremation is a much more affordable option. Cremation is a fraction of the cost of a traditional burial, which is why a growing number of families are choosing Cremation over Burial – and the trend is expected to continue.

Burial costs can be expensive, and the cost will only increase as space becomes less available. The associated costs include:

• Caskets: Costs range from $1,500 up to $20,000 – and beyond
• Burial Plots: Factors include size, location, cemetery, and availability. Costs can range from $2,500 to more than $30,000
• Burial Vault/Crypt: Costs range from around $1,000 to $10,000 depending on the materials
• Other Costs: Labor to actually open/close the grave; Grave Marker/Headstone; Long-term maintenance of the gravesite and graveyard

As you can see, the budgetary cost for a traditional Burial starts at $5,000 and can be substantially higher. Most families can spend upwards of $20,000 for a basic funeral and traditional Burial. Land use is a serious concern with traditional Burial.

3. Environmental Impact

An ever-growing number of families are considering Cremation because it’s more “environmentally friendly” than traditional Burial. If the deceased was embalmed during the Burial process, then those chemicals could make their way into the soil. By contrast, the ashes of the deceased are actually sterile and can be high in certain nutrients for the soil.

Ultimately, the question of Cremation or Burial is requires thought and consideration of many factors. Please reach out to our Cremation Society Specialists for assistance with these trying questions.