Choosing the right funeral director for you and your family will make the process of arranging the funeral less stressful and ensure that your loved one gets the service they deserve. Here, we look at 10 questions to ask before you make a decision.
Is someone available 24/7?
Because you never know when you may need help, it’s important to check that a Funeral Director keeps non-standard hours. Ideally, phones should be answered 24/7.
Are you a member of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand (FDANZ)?
Members of the FDANZ are professionals committed to ensuring that the families they serve receive high quality service. FDANZ members must adhere to strict criteria, including codes of ethics and conduct, mandatory ongoing training, and nationally recognised qualifications. By choosing a FDANZ member, you’ll be reassured that they have high quality standards and the very best in service and care.
Are your funeral directors qualified?
By choosing formally trained Funeral Directors, with ongoing training requirements, you’ll know their knowledge and understanding of grief care, best practice and law changes is always up to date.
Where is your care facility located?
Understand where the Funeral Director’s care facility (or mortuary) is. This is where your loved one will be cared for (and possibly embalmed, if that’s what you choose) and where you can spend time with them. Ideally, it should be conveniently located with plenty of free parking available or good public transport links.
Do you charge to keep my loved one’s body or ashes?
A Funeral Director should not charge extra to keep your loved one’s body, even if there is a delay between them passing and the day of their funeral. Additionally, if they’ve been cremated and you haven’t decided upon their final resting place, a Funeral Director should keep their ashes until you’re ready and at no extra charge.
Do you have your own crematorium?
If the duty of care of your loved one is a priority for you, you might want to consider a funeral home with their own crematorium. Your funeral home will be able to care for your loved one from beginning to end if they own their own crematorium.
Are your embalmers qualified?
Choosing a Funeral Director that employs their own embalmers ensures that the Funeral Director’s high standards of care and service will be delivered by all their staff, including embalmers. Being qualified means that embalmers have undergone rigorous training, and their skills and experience have been formally recognised. It also ensures that their knowledge of best practice
and care is up-to-date.
Can you provide non-conventional funeral services?
If you’d like a different type of funeral, check the prospective Funeral Director’s experience of providing non-conventional funerals.
This includes services held in family homes or outdoors, or non-religious services led by family members or celebrants.
What efforts have your business made to be environmentally friendly?
If you’re environmentally-conscious, you might like to ask about the environmental impact of your loved one’s funeral. This could include asking if the company has any environmental programs in place and if their caskets and urns are made from sustainable resources.
Do you have your own design team for service sheets?
An in-house team of qualified graphic designers means you’ll receive beautiful and completely personalised service sheets that you can keep and cherish. They can also create professional photo tributes to play at the service to create a fitting memorial, at a time when it may be too difficult to do yourself.
