Lesson 4: First Calls and Funeral Arrangements Flashcards
what information should be collected during a first call?
exchange of necessary information- name of deceased, location of deceased, name, relationship and contact number of person calling, NOK information if different than caller, email address, pertinent information about death surround (where body us, condition of body, special circumstances), permission to transfer deceased, appointment time to meet with family, instructions for what family is required to bring in to arrangements
what is death-blindness?
treating first call as order taking situation, only concerned with functional aspect not relational
proactive vs. reactive first calls
a proactive first call is when the death is anticipated or if someone is calling looking for assistance with an unexplained situation, it could be the ME’s, nursing home staff, etc., reactive first calls are when the death has occured and the family is calling to say that their loved one has died
additional information that can be collected during first call if appropriate and/or applicable
name of physician/ME, permission to embalm, disposition type, age of deceased, date of birth, autopsy or not?
what is “the pause”?
the time for a family between the first call and the arrangement appointment, a good time to send email with information on what to bring and think about, a good way to give the family grief work
what are the main points of an arrangement conference?
preparation- the funeral director should leave any baggage at the door, have the FH and arrangement office prepared/clean for the family, gather as much information on the family as possible, know FH schedule, availability, deadlines, know the status of the body, etc.
the prelude- introduce self, begin forming relationship, offer refreshments, give tour
vital statistics- information to register death, immortalizes deceased in records, has psychological impact on family’s grief, treat information given with care and respect
service details- gathering all information on what service will look like, disposition type, service type, dates, times, clergy, luncheon, cemetery, pallbearers, flowers, etc.
merchandise- sales part of arrangements, service fees, caskets, urns, memorial items, etc.
obituaries- should be written even if not posted, aids in grief resolution, can be placed on FH website and on memorial cards
Arrangement Room Layouts
the office, the boardroom, and the livingroom
