Does Location Really Matter When Choosing A Funeral Home?

Choosing a funeral home to work with can be a tricky task. Often there are many of them and they can all seem kind of the same. Typically our best advice is to choose the one that feels most comfortable for you by meeting the funeral director and ensuring you click well with them. After all, they will be working with you during a very emotional and difficult time.

But in many cases it’s really important to also choose a Calgary funeral home by location. We believe that location is definitely an important factor when narrowing down which funeral home in Calgary could work for you. Funeral services take time and effort to plan so you’ll want the location to be close to your home and easy to access.

You also want to consider funeral homes in Calgary that can accommodate your service requests and are close to the church, cemetery or facility you are using. They should also be close to the location where msot of the funeral guests will come from.

Here are several reasons you should consider the location when choosing a Calgary funeral home:

1. Planning - As mentioned, when you are planning a funeral you may need to go to the funeral homes in Calgary several times to fill out paperwork, drop off information or items and to ensure everything is just right before your funeral guests arrive.

2. Proximity to Place of Worship - If you will be having the funeral service at a church or other place of worship, you’ll want to ensure that it is located in close prximity to the funeral home. Moving the body during the process of preparing it, holding the service and proceeding to the cemetery or crematorium should all be as simple and seamless as possible.

3. Proximity to Cemetery or Crematorium - If your loved one will be buried, you want to ensure the funeral homes in Calgary that you consider are in close proximity to the cemetery. If your loved one will be cremated, it is best to choose from one of the funeral homes in Calgary that offer cremation or to choose a funeral home that is nearby the crematorium.

4. Close for Guests - You’ll want to keep the funeral services in Calgary at a location that is convenient for the majority of those who will attend. That way they can get their more easily and can consider carpooling so they don’t use as much of the funeral homes parking up. Some funeral homes in Calgary have limited parking available. It also allows guests to go home between services or be able to attend a visitation at one time and the funeral service or interment at a later time without needing to drive far away to return home.

Choosing a funeral home is a big decision but we hope these reasons to narrow the selections down by location will help to make your decision easier for you. Find a great funeral home that is close by and offers great service.

Search Our Obituaries in Calgary - Country Hills Crematorium

An obituary is a detailed look at the life of the deceased and a compilation of relevant facts that people need to know. An obituary includes essential details but it expands on them to provide a more complete look at the deceased's life experiences. Calgary obituaries tend to cover the life and times of those who pass away in our city.

The purpose of an obituary is to notify the public of an individual’s passing and relay the details of the services. It can also review the life of the deceased. The length of an obituary may vary by person and preference, but the length can also be limited by budgetary constraints or the space available in the newspaper. 

If you choose to publish your loved one’s obituary in the newspaper, it would be best to check how much space is available and the pricing options they have because it can become costly very quickly. However, there are newer options available when it comes to obituaries, due to the advent and popularity of the internet. Funeral home websites can often offer a larger space on which to publish your loved one’s obituary. Obituaries should be published a few days before the viewing, funeral or memorial service so people have time to find them and prepare to attend the services. Sometimes this isn’t possible, but if you are searching for the information, a simple Google search will help you determine if it is available online anywhere.

When you are searching for an obituary to find information about someone you know who has died, you can count on Country Hills Crematorium to provide the information you need promptly.

Families who work with us to plan the final disposition and funeral services of their loved ones get access to support with writing an obituary and we are careful to publish the obituaries quickly onto our website so that you can find the information you are searching for soon after discovering that someone has passed away. 

At Country Hills Crematorium, we also provide Calgary obituaries to the family so they can share it on social media and email it to those who would like to review the obituary, gain the funeral service details and to notify others that the passing has taken place.

When you arrive on our website, you’ll find the most recent obituaries on our Home page. You can also select the tab in our navigation menu at the top of the website to find all of our obituaries past and present. You can search for the obituary you are looking for by typing their name into the search bar as well.

When you hear of the passing of someone you know, it may feel like you do not want to burden the family with questions. If you know which funeral home they are working with, you can visit their website and find the obituary that way, provided the funeral home puts them on their site. If you do not know which funeral home, a simple online search should point you in the right direction.

Country Hills Crematorium publishes all Calgary obituaries on our website and strvies to have the information available as soon as possible for you.

Top 5 Services to Look For From Funeral Homes in Calgary

When selecting a Calgary funeral home to plan a current funeral with or to preplan your own arrangements with, you’ll want to consider the services they offer. You want to look at the basics to ensure they even pass the quality check you should hold all funeral homes in Calgary to. These basics include:

• Facilities for a memorial service or funeral reception

• Obituary writing services

• Cremation/burial

• Arranging musical requests

• Taking care of floral arrangements 

• Providing information to friends and family members

• Dealing with paperwork for burial or cremation

• Recording donations received

• Arranging for staff and vehicles for funeral and burial services

• Accepting donations for specified charities

• Setting up catered meals at another location following the funeral

You may find that you don’t need all of these services for the funeral you’re planning so it helps to consider these needs and which are most important before you start researching funeral homes in Calgary. 

The remaining notes are not all necessarily services. Some are important details that will influence the choice you make though.

1. Reputation - It’s very important to select a funeral home with a good reputation. A good funeral home will be with you every step of the way through your planning. While planning a funeral is never easy, the right funeral home will help make the process less stressful. 

To find a funeral home with a good reputation, we recommend that you start by asking for recommendations from friends and family members. Once you’ve gathered a list of recommendations, go online to see what others have to say in their reviews.

2. Religious or Cultural Needs - If you have certain religious or cultural customs that you’d like to observe during the funeral, it’s very important that you check that the funeral home can provide for you. 

If religion is your main concern, then you’ll be pleased to know that there are many Calgary funeral homes these days that cater to specific religious needs. 

3. Location - It’s also very important to consider the location of the funeral home that you choose. 

You’re going to be in frequent communication with the funeral home, so a convenient location can be helpful when making preparations. However, if you plan to have the service and reception at the funeral home, you’ll want to make sure that the location is convenient for the guests. 

4. Price - Of course, price is also a factor you need to consider when choosing a funeral home. Before you start calling funeral homes, lay out a budget. Then, call each home you’re considering to get a price quote. Reputable funeral homes will offer you a breakdown of all of the expenses. 

5. Staff - It’s also very important to choose a funeral home that employs caring staff members. 

Oftentimes, the best way to learn about the staff of a funeral home is to call them directly or visit them in person. When on the phone, pay attention to their demeanor and whether or not they take the time to thoroughly answer your questions. 

When visiting a funeral home in person, make a note if someone greets you right away as well as how the staff interacts with you. As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, a good Calgary funeral home can make things less stressful, respectful and compassionate staff is the foundation of good funeral homes in Calgary.

Choose the Right Place for a Funeral Reception in Calgary

After a funeral or memorial service, some families choose to hold a funeral reception. The funeral reception often takes place in a different setting, and it serves as a smaller and more intimate gathering to invite close friends. The post service reception is usually more casual and not tied to strict schedules, making it the perfect setting for family members and friends that are coming from farther away. Planning a funeral reception can also happen with the funeral home you are working with. It really just depends on the preferences of your family on where the right place is to hold it.

If you decide that a funeral home is the best plae to hold your funeral reception, it’s importnat to include this in your criteria when choosing a funeral home in the first place. It is much easier to hold but the service and the reception in the same place. 

When choosing where to hold a funeral reception in Calgary, you’ll want to consider the following and be sure to ask the funeral homes you are considering if they can accommodate your needs effectively.

Provided you’ve done some leg work and have determined that each of your options has a good reputation for taking good care of the families they work with, the biggest consideration will be the onsite services, what they include in their packages and the needs that are most important to you. Ultimately for many families it comes down to costs. Here is how to understand the costs associated with planning a funeral reception and service.

1. Professional Service Fee:

A funeral director and staff’s professional and personal staff services typically include: Transfer from place of death, obtaining a medical certificate of death, completing government forms, registering the death, obtaining necessary permits.

Basic sanitary care of the deceased; embalming, restoration and dressing of the deceased for viewing (if requested); and or as required (e.g. transportation by air). 

Complete personal supervision of all service arrangement details preceding, during and following the services which includes: arrangement conference with family; preparation and placing of an obituary notice, consultation with clergy, cemetery and/or crematorium; arranging and caring for floral tributes.

Use of the funeral home and all necessary facilities including: arrangement office, reception areas, chapel, selection room, preparation room, parking and services areas. Use of all specialized equipment required for either a church, chapel or other types of service. Use of funeral coach and any other vehicles.

Transfer of deceased to crematorium and/or cemetery

2. Merchandise:

The merchandise purchased for a cremation or burial can vary greatly depending on individual preferences and needs. Funeral providers that have containers and caskets on display are required by law to display their lowest price container and casket. They are also required to have a book or brochure illustrating the entire product line of caskets for sale.

    • Cremation Container / Casket.

    • Urn for cremated remains

    • Stationery (memorial book, thank you cards, service folders).

3. Cemetery and/or Crematorium:

Cemetery and crematorium charges may be paid to the funeral provider or directly to the cemetery/crematorium. Regardless, authorization for disposition must still be obtained from the legal representative of the deceased.

4. Indirect Costs (or cash disbursements):

Indirect costs or cash disbursements are sums of money that the funeral provider pays out (advances) on your behalf, for such items or services such as:

    • Obituary notices.

    • Organist, soloist.

    • Flowers.

    • Clergy or officiant honourariums.

Choose a great funeral home to work with and they will be a huge help in planning your funeral reception.

How to Choose the Right Funeral Service

 

Perhaps your loved one is nearing death and you must find a Calgary funeral home quickly. Or you have decided to pick funeral services in Calgary for yourself long before it’s needed, to spare your family the ordeal of making this decision while grieving and pressed for time.

If you have used a funeral home in Calgary in the past, don’t automatically assume it’s the best choice. Without comparing prices and services, you can’t tell whether their fees are reasonable, or whether you've been overcharged in the past.

Use this step-by-step guide to help you find the best Calgary funeral home for you and your family. 

1. Consult your family and decide on a budget

Have you and your family discussed a budget, and decided on an amount that’s affordable for you—that you’re willing and able to spend without hardship? Shopping for a funeral services in Calgary should be like making any major purchase—you know what you can afford before you start shopping. 

2. Weigh your priorities

Ask yourself: 

    • How important is a convenient location? 

    • Do you prefer proximity to your home, place of worship or cemetery? 

    • Is price a critical factor? 

    • How flexible is your budget? If

    •  you or your family used the funeral services in Calgary in the past, how satisfied were you? 

    • Do you have special religious or cultural requirements? 

    • If you want a viewing or service, will you need a large facility with ample parking, high-tech video screens, or handicap-accessibility? 

    • Or is simplicity your first priority?

3. Choose the type of arrangement

You might donate your body to a medical school for research, which in some cases incurs no charge for survivors.

Other very economical choices are “direct cremation” or “direct burial” with no embalming or visitation.

You could consider a funeral service held at home.

Green, or natural burial, in a shroud or simple box, can be very affordable and ecologically friendly.

Perhaps you prefer a traditional earth burial with embalming, visitation and an elaborate funeral service.

Whatever you decide, write down your wishes in detail. The arrangement choice is the biggest factor in helping you determine the best, and most reasonably-priced, funeral home in Calgary for your needs.

5. Get a list and compare prices

You may find a huge price difference for the same options, so doing a cost comparison might save you several thousand dollars. Often those specializing in cremation offer the lowest prices for that service, but not always—be sure to double check.

Call five or six funeral homes in Calgary and get their prices for your chosen arrangement; perhaps ask about casket and urn prices as well. If a particular funeral director seems uncooperative, cross him off your list. Do the costs fit within your budget? If not, you may have to consider a more affordable type of arrangement, look beyond your immediate area for lower prices, or eliminate extra expenses like embalming or visitation.

6. Visit several funeral homes

Make an appointment to visit the Calgary funeral homes if possible. Bring a list of questions and a friend or family member less emotionally invested in the funeral than you are. Ask the funeral home for their General Price List and have the director review it with you. You might want to see an array of urns or caskets, ask about their billing policy or meet the staff. Do you like the facility? Does the funeral director seem helpful and trustworthy, and answer questions willingly? Is he or she sensitive to your values and cultural or religious needs? Don’t select a funeral provider unless you feel completely comfortable with the director and the premises.

At each funeral home, discuss your specific arrangement choices and ask for an itemized statement. It will list the goods and services you have chosen, the price of each item, and total cost. Do not sign anything yet. Take a copy of each statement home to review more carefully, then compare and discuss them with your family.

Once you’ve made your choices, ensure they are well documented for your family to follow or for you to execute if a loved one passed in the near future.

5 Unknown Services Funeral Homes Offer

When someone you love has passed away, it can be a very difficult time. Not only are you grieving the loss of a beloved family member or friend, there is also a lot to do and many decisions to be made. From choosing among the various funeral homes in Calgary, to deciding on disposition and what type of funeral services to hold, there are numerous decisions to make that you may know very little about. An experienced funeral director can walk you through all of these decisions and help you make choices based on your values and those of the deceased. They can also provide assistance with the required paperwork and what happens after the funeral services in Calgary.

While you may be very aware that funeral homes in Calgary will help you to prepare your loved one to be buried or cremated and they help plan viewings and funeral services, many people do not realize all that they offer. In your time of need there are many funeral services in Calgary available to you. Here are five unknown services that funeral homes offer:

    1. Around The Clock Service - When a loved one passes away, the funeral homes in Calgary that you have selected will arrive at your home within one hour of receiving your call. Few people realize that funeral services are accessible at any time of the day or night. Also, preparing the body and planning a funeral often happen in very quick succession and your funeral services team in Calgary will be there to make it all happen as smoothly as possible.

    2. Obituaries - Most funeral homes in Calgary can help you with writing an obituary and getting it published in the local newspaper, as well as available online so it can be shared with family and friends. Writing an obituary and having it published can add a significant amount of stress during this time so most funeral services in Calgary will offer the option for them to do this for you and you should certainly consider taking them up on it.

    3. Pre-Planning - While many people find it morbid to talk about death or their final wishes, it can actually be a huge relief for the survivors if the funeral is pre-arranged, especially if you choose to pre-pay for the options you select. 

    4. Help With Paperwork - Death comes with a lot of paperwork but most of it is commonly seen by the funeral directors you are working with and many funeral homes in Calgary have developed resources to help you figure out the forms required and how to submit for insurance, benefits and taxes. 

    5. Grief Support - Once you have laid your loved one to rest, the funeral home you have chosen will continue to work with you to provide resources for grief support and anything else you may need afterwards.

When a loved one has passed, choose a great funeral home in Calgary and you will receive so much more support than you could expect. Funeral services and the requirements afterwards can be cumbersome but your funeral home is there to help.