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What do I need to bring when making cremation or burial arrangements? What do I need to know when selecting a cremation provider? Why is ownership of the crematory important to me? What standards should I expect when choosing a Cremation Service Provider: Why do we ask you to identify your loved one? Why should LocalCremation.com direct the Memorial Service? What are Veteran's Administration burial/niche allowances? Who is eligible for Veteran's Administration allowances? How much does Veteran's Administration pay? How can I apply for Veteran's Administration allowances? |
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Q:What do I need to bring when making cremation or burial arrangements? - Back to Top A:We hope you will find the following list helpful as you prepare to meet with one of our trained cremation counselors. These are some of the areas and details you will want to be prepared to discuss as we review the arrangement process and finalize the honoring of your loved one.
Q:What do I need to know when selecting a cremation provider? - Back to Top A:The choice to cremate accounts for 26% of all final disposition arrangements in the United States today. There are many cremation service providers to choose from, and we encourage you to carefully research and consider your options. You will want to consider the crematory's location, ownership, operational and witnessing procedures. Some questions to ask are:
Q:Why is ownership of the crematory important to me? - Back to Top A:Many funeral homes and cremation service providers must contract cremation services to a third-party crematory. However, at LocalCremation.com we operate our own crematory with the most modern, efficient and secure processing available today and, as a result, can offer simple, dignified and affordable cremations. LocalCremation.com, a division of Rest Haven Crematory, is a member of the Cremation Society of North America, the Better Business Bureau, and is licensed by the Texas Funeral Service Commission. Today, many cremation providers are not only corporately owned, but also must contract out to other crematories for the actual cremation service. At LocalCremation.com, however, we own and operate our own crematory. This enables us to provide you complete and personalized cremation arrangement service from the moment you walk through our door. Our crematory houses a state of the art cremation unit, and is operated by highly trained crematory operators, who are also licensed funeral directors. We can guarantee that each and every detail of your cremation arrangement will be handled by our own professional and compassionate staff. When considering cremation, you are entitled to have complete knowledge of the process and to feel completely comfortable with the crematory that you choose. Should you choose LocalCremation.com, we are confident that we can provide you with a level of service that exceeds your expectation. Q:What standards should I expect when choosing a Cremation Service Provider: - Back to Top A:It is our hope that you will entrust us to handle your cremation arrangements. However, no matter who you choose, below are some important standards that all Cremation Service Providers should meet.
Q:Why do we ask you to identify your loved one? - Back to Top A:We do encourage at least one representative from the family make a positive identification before the cremation actually takes place. We have found that this often provides families not only a sense of closure, but also peace of mind as you make that final visual contact with your cherished loved one. We will take thoughtful, careful measures when we prepare your loved one for viewing so that process of identification is carried out with dignity, respect, and great sensitivity for you and your family. A final viewing can be attended by as many as five family members and can be scheduled at an appropriate time. Q:Why should LocalCremation.com direct the Memorial Service? - Back to Top A:You will appreciate our many years of experience in planning and conducting a memorial service that reflects the dignity and beauty of the life remembered. Our expertise will help to relieve the sometimes overwhelming burden of details and organization at this very stressful, emotional time. We will:
Q:What are the burial/niche allowances provided by the Veteran's Administration? - Back to Top A:Veteran's Administration Burial Allowances are partial reimbursements of an eligible veteran's burial and funeral costs. When the cause of death is not service related, the reimbursements generally include two payments:
Q:Who is eligible for Veteran's Administration allowances? - Back to Top A:Survivors of a veteran may be eligible for a Veteran's Administration burial allowance if: You may be paid for a veteran's burial or funeral, AND you have not been reimbursed by another government agency or some other source, such as the deceased veteran's employer, AND the veteran was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. In addition, at least ONE of the following conditions must be met: The veteran died because of a service-related disability, OR the veteran was receiving Veteran's Administration pension or compensation at the time of death, OR the veteran was entitled to receive Veteran's Administration pension or compensation, but decided not to reduce his/her military retirement or disability pay, OR the veteran died while hospitalized by the Veteran's Administration, or while receiving care under Veteran's Administration contract at a non-Veteran's Administration facility, OR the veteran died while traveling under proper authorization and at Veteran's Administration expense to or from a specified place for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care, OR the veteran had an original or reopened claim pending at the time of death and has been found entitled to compensation or pension from a date prior to the date of death, OR the veteran died after October 9, 1996, while a patient at a Veteran's Administration-approved state nursing home. Q:How much does the Veteran's Administration pay? - Back to Top A:Service-Related Death The Veteran's Administration will pay up to $2000 toward burial expenses for deaths after September 11, 2001. If the veteran is buried in a Veteran's Administration National Cemetery, some or all of the cost of transporting the deceased may be reimbursed. Non Service-Related Death The Veteran's Administration will pay up to $300 toward burial and funeral expenses and a $300 plot interment allowance for deaths after December 1, 2001. If the death happened while the veteran was in a Veteran's Administration hospital or under Veteran's Administration contracted nursing home care, some or all of the costs for transporting the veteran's remains may be reimbursed. The Veteran's Administration can only Reimburse the family and not the Funeral Home or Crematory Q:How Can I Apply for Veteran's Administration allowances? - Back to Top A:You can apply by filling our VA Form 21-530, Application for Burial Benefits. You should attach a copy of the veteran's military discharge document (DD214 or equivalent), death certificate, funeral and burial bills. You may download this form at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/ |