Meeting With the Funeral Home

Within the first 24  - 48 hours of a death occurring, you should meet with a funeral home to begin the final arrangements. This will be a difficult time for you and your loved ones. The funeral home staff will be there to guide you in making decisions and help make this difficult time a little bit easier.

Who Will Go With You?

One decision that will need to be made when a death has occurred is who will go with you to the funeral home. If no one in your immediate family is available, do you have a list of people who might be available to go with you? It is always a good idea to have someone accompany you, in order to provide support and help you to remember details.

Who Will Make the Decisions?

Deciding on your loved one's final goodbye may be challenging, but not impossible. Your funeral director will help answer any questions you may have. They will help you understand what is involved in planning a funeral and be there to support you in any way that you need. Something you will need to think about is who will be making the decisions? Is there a legal executor named in the Will who needs to be involved? If no executor has been named, is there a spouse or a child (next of kin) who can make decisions? The funeral home will need to rely on one person to make decisions and sign the funeral contract.

Who Else is Involved in the Arrangements?

Does the deceased have children, friends, or other family members who would like to be a part of arranging the funeral? Do you know how the deceased felt about funerals or what their final wishes were? You and your loved ones know the deceased best and your funeral home will work with you to help in celebrating a life lived.  Just remember that it's better not to involved too many people in the arrangements. When many people are involved, it often means differing opinions and difficulty making decisions.

Do you have the information gathered for the paperwork?

When a death occurs, it is a legal matter that requires paperwork to be filed with the funeral home and Vital Statistics. To better prepare yourself for the arrangement at the funeral home, it may be helpful to gather some information and documents needed. Below is a list of information and documents that you should know or have easy access to:

• Deceased's Social Insurance Number
• Deceased's Alberta Health Care Number
• First name and surname (or maiden name) of parents
• Birth place of parents
• Copy of Will (page listing the executor)
• Cemetery paperwork showing a purchase of a grave or niche
• Insurance paperwork for a death benefit

If you need assistance, please contact us.