Klicker- Chapter 3 Flashcards
Arrangement Conference
The meeting between the funeral director and the client family during which the funeral arrangements are discussed.
The arrangement conference is often a bereaved family’s first meeting of this kind with the funeral director.
- Designed to collect information and plan funeral details
- A time for the funeral director to develop a relationship of trust and confidence with the family.
- Can help the family with the grieving process if done properly.
Face-to-Face Meeting
Acts as both a functionary collecting information necessary for legal documents (DC, burial or cremation permits, death notice or obituary) as well as presenting merchandise for the family to purchase (caskets, vaults, urns, clothing, flowers, memorial markers). Also functions as a facilitator in helping the family plan a service that meets their needs while bringing them comfort and support.
Funeral Director
- Writing a death notice or obituary
- Date and time for visitation
- Date and time for disposition
- Coordinates with clergy or funeral celebrant
- Merchandise selection
- Floral selection
- Automobile needs
- Explanation of expenses
- Explanation of government forms
- Personalization options
- Special requests
- Sevice details (music selections, religious or inspirational readings)
- Financial arrangements
Details Attended to in the Planning Process
- Can be anywhere
- Family’s home
- Funeral home
- Laptop computer or catalogs necessary to display the merchandise options if made anywhere other than the funeral home.
Location of Arrangements
- Resembles a small conference room or a dining room in a home.
- Table with chairs will provide a comfortable non-intimidating seating arrangement.
- Allows the funeral director a space to write on without a formal businesslike atmosphere that deats the funeral director behind a desk.
Style of Arrangement Offices at Funeral Home
Can be the difference between them feeling like we care, or feeling like we are there to just take information and sell them something.
The First Five Minutes With a Family
Funeral directors should avoid reaching for their pens during the first ____ _____ of the arrangement conference. These ___ _______ of listening are a crucial part of a funeral director’s transition from order-taker to event planner and an important foundation for personalization efforts.
15 Minutes
A very effective opportunity to help make these more personal and meaningful is to include the deceased’s things (things that were important to evoke the memory and significance of the deceased’s life).
- Listen to the family
- Learn about the deceased and what was important and significant in that life
- Suggest making any noteworthy personal aspects of the deceased’s life part of this.
At Funerals
Keep arranging funeral directors fresh and prepared for the conference by doing this. Allow them time to prepare themselves mentally and phyiscally for the meeting.
Do Not Schedule Too Many Arrangements Per Day
Try to do this at the door when they enter, or even at their car in the parking lot.
Meeting Families
None of us went to funeral arrangement school. We learned from others an adapted a set of funeral arrangement procedures with which we felt comfortable.
Good Funeral Directors Strive to Keep Improving their Arrangement Skills
- Body present with public viewing, service, and committal (burial, entombment, or cremation).
- Body present with a private viewing, public or private service and committal (burial, entombment or cremation).
- Body present but all facets are private
- Body present with no viewing but a public service and public or private committal.
- Body present with no viewing and everything else private
- Public graveside service with the body present to be distinguished from a committal service only.
- Direct disposition by cremation or interment preceded or followed by a public or private service without the body present.
- Direct disposition by cremation or interment preceded by viewing.
- Direct disposition by cremation or interment with no viewing or attendant rites or ceremonies.
- Body donation preceded or followed by a public or private service with the body or cremains present.
- Body donation without any public or private service.
Funeral Options
- Name
- Address
- Place of death
- Date of death
- Gender
- Race
- Martial status
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Veteran
- Doctor’s name
- Caues of death
- Spouse, name, age
- Informant’s name, age
- Informant’s telephone number
- Father’s name
- Father’s birthplace
- Mother’s maiden name
- Mother’s birthplace
- Cemetery/crematory
- Service number
- Date entered service
- Date discharged
- Rank
- Occupation
- Social security number
- Place of business
- Name of hospital
- Grave number
- Grave owner
- section
- Date of funeral
- Clergy person
- Church
- service at
- Time of service
Vital Statistics
- Spouse
- Father
- Mother
- Sons
- Daughters
- Brothers
- Sisters
- Grandchildren
- Organizations
- Visitation
- Funeral
- Funeral Home
Death Notice/Obituary Information
Necessary for the director and family to decide on a time, place, and type of service.
- Clergy should be called and informed of the death, if not already contacted
- Consult clergy of time, date, and type of service
- Family’s request may not be able to be filled becuse of a time conflict with clergy
Religious Services
May be conducted in the church or funeral home and generally adheres to the church’s rules and rituals.
Traditional Religious Ceremony
- Non-traditional
- Memorial service
- Humanistic service
Three Options Other than Traidtional Religious Ceremony
Religious oriented but follows a more modern interpretation, including favorite music, poems, and readings.
Non-Traditional
A service without the body present usually held days or weeks after the disposition.
Memorial Service
