Blog | Panebaker Funeral Home

Helping a Grieving Loved One

Seeing someone you care about dealing with the death of a loved one can be very difficult. you may not know how to offer the support they need and that can make you hesitate in reaching out to them. There are actually many things you can do to help somebody who is dealing with a loss. If you want to offer them the support they need help they need, here are the things that providers of cremation services in Hanover, PA want you to remember.

You want to let them know that they are not alone and that they can always reach out to you. You may think they already know this, but people who are grieving do not want to bother others. They may not reach out to you so that they do not impose on you. The best thing you can do is to reach out to them and let them know that they could always come to you for help.

You also need to encourage them to speak about their feelings as they deal with the grief. You want them to also speak about the person they lost and share any memories they may have with them. It is vital to do this. People many times think that speaking of the person they have lost can stress the person who is grieving, but it can actually be cathartic and can help with the process of getting closure. If you knew the person who died, you can start by telling your loved one about your memories of them. If you did not know them, you can ask questions about them to encourage your loved one to speak about them. A funeral or memorial service, whether traditional or contemporary, is the first step in healing.

You also want to think about preparing meals for them so that they can easily heat up. People who are grieving many times do not want to have to cook and so they do not eat at all or they turn to options like fast food, which are not nutritious. Instead, you can prepare meals that are comforting and nutritious and that the person can easily heat up. If this is something you want to do, be sure that you ask about any food allergies or preferences.

These are some important things you want to keep in mind when deciding how to help a loved one who is grieving. Let them know that you are always there for them and that they can turn to you when they need to speak with someone. You also want to encourage them to accept your help, so offer specific offers so that they will take you up on those offers. You can also think about preparing meals for them, so do consider that. If you want to know more about how you can help someone deal with the loss of a loved one, you can reach out to a Hanover, PA cremation services provider like us. Our team is here to help you make the decisions you need to make after the death of a loved one. You can give us a call right now or you can visit us today.

Writing an Obituary

One of the things that some people choose to do for someone who has died is written their obituary. Although you can definitely have the funeral director do this for you, it can also be an option to write the obituary yourself. If that is something you want to do but you want to be sure that you know how to write an obituary correctly, there are some tips that directors of funeral homes in Hanover, PA want you to keep in mind.

It can be a good idea to read examples of obituaries before you get started. Many people do not consider doing this because they think that since each obituary is unique there is nothing they can learn from reading them. That is not the case. You could actually learn a lot from reading examples. One of the things you can learn is how long the obituary can be, as well as what you can include, and the tone it can have. There are lots of websites where you can find examples of obituaries.

Another thing to remember is that you do not want to include a lot of details in the biographical section of the obituary. This is a common mistake people make and it can be an issue. If this section is too long, people can get confused and that is not what you want. Focus on mentioning the milestones of the person’s life and not on adding lots of details.

Before sending the obituary to be printed or posted, you want to ensure that you have someone check it. You do not want to have to worry about seeing mistakes later on. It is always a good idea to ask someone who knows your family and who will be able to tell if you misspelled a name or if you forgot to include someone in the list of those who survived the deceased.

Add the relevant information on the services you are planning for your loved one. It is important to include the date, time, and location of the service. Be sure to also include any special requests you may have, like if you are asking for flower donations. If you want to give your loved one a celebration of life, you can also consider mentioning this in the obituary.

These are some important things you want to remember when getting ready to write an obituary for a loved one. You always want to start by reading examples and you want to be sure someone reads through it to make certain there are no errors. It can be a big help to do this. If you still have questions or if you would like the funeral home to prepare the obituary for you, you can reach out to a Hanover, PA funeral home like us. We are here to guide you through the entire process of making arrangements for your loved one, so do not hesitate to contact us to get started. Give us a call right now or visit us today at our location to learn more.

What to Do After a Death

If you are the person who has to make arrangements for a loved one who has died, you may not know how to go about this. There are some steps you need to take to be sure that everything is done in order and correctly. If you have never made these kinds of arrangements before, you want to know how to go about this. Here are some of the tips that providers of cremation services in McSherrystown, PA want you to know about this.

The first thing you want to do is get the death certificate. Some people choose to let the funeral home do this for them, but if you want to start putting your loved one’s affairs in order, it can be much easier to do so if you have the death certificate as soon as you can. You can get it from medical professionals of all kinds, including doctors, nurses, hospice workers, coroners, and emergency medical technicians. Because you will likely have to provide a copy to many people, it can be a good idea to get at least ten copies.

The next thing you want to do is start letting other people know of the death. You will likely already have told your closest loved ones, so ask them to help you with this. They can make other calls while you continue with the rest of the funerary arrangements.

Next, you want to consider the kind of funerary options you want to offer your loved one. This can be easy if you know what your loved ones would have wanted, but if not, it can fall to you to make this choice. You want to consider the kind of budget you have, and you also want to be sure to ask for suggestions from family members.

Once you have decided on the right services, you want to find a provider that is qualified to offer them. Look for a company that has been in the industry for a substantial amount of time and that employs experts. Look at the services they offer to make certain you can give your loved one the services you want them to have, and be sure to also compare rates.

When putting your loved one to rest, you want to be sure that you consider all of these things. You want to get the certificate of death first so that there is no issue when making arrangements, and you want to them start letting people know of the death. You next need to think about the kind of services your loved one would have wanted and find the right provider. If you want to get started, you can reach out to a McSherrystown, PA cremation service provider like us. We are ready to answer any questions you may have about this. Call us to learn more or visit us today to speak with one of our experts and learn more about the services we can offer.

Choosing a Cemetery

There will be many decisions you will have to make after the death of a loved one and one of these can be the cemetery you choose for their burial. If there are different options in your area, you want to take some time to find out what the best choices are. If you do not know how to do this, there are some things that can make it a bit easier. Here are the tips that directors of funeral homes in McSherrystown, PA want you to know about choosing a cemetery.

Many people do not think enough about the location of the cemetery. It is something you definitely want to consider, however, because it can have a huge impact on your choice. If you are the person who has to maintain the gravesite, you do not want to have to travel a long time to do so. That can be time-consuming and stressful. Choose a location that is convenient for you. If you are sharing these duties with someone else, you want to try and find a location that works for both of you. The emotional upheaval these trying times can cause is sometimes so overwhelming that even the support of friends and family may not help relieve the amount of sadness and grief you feel.

Another thing that you want to make sure of is that you know what the maintenance services are like. Not all cemeteries offer maintenance and that can mean that you will have to do this on your own. Some people do not have time to do so or cannot take care of this task. If that is something that worries you, be sure to ask the cemetery about this before you make a choice.

You want to also see what kind of grave markers the cemetery allows. Some of them prefer a more uniform look and that can mean that you want to consider whether they will allow the kind of grave marker that you want to offer your loved one. Ask for a list of approved options and see if they are options you want or not.

You want to be sure to ask about the kind of caskets that the cemetery allows. Some cemeteries have restrictions on caskets, especially biodegradable ones. Biodegradable caskets can make the ground cave in and that can be a concern for many cemeteries. If you still want to use one, you may have to purchase a grave vault to prevent this issue.

All of these tips can help you choose the kind of cemetery in which you want your loved one to be buried. You want to be certain that you can get the exact options you want, including the caskets you can use and the grave markers you can opt for. If you are not able to offer maintenance to the gravesite yourself, you need to be certain the cemetery can do this for you. If you are still not sure how to make this choice, you want to reach out to a McSherrystown, PA funeral home like us. Our team is ready to help you with all of the arrangements you need to make after the death of a loved one. Call us right now to learn more about our services.

Attending a Service

Going to the service of a loved one who has died is something that can have a huge impact on the process of healing and of accepting the death. If that is something that you want to do but have never been to a service before, you may not be sure what to expect. It can be important to know a bit about the etiquette rules. Here are the ones that providers of cremation services in Parkville, PA want you to know about this.

One of the most common worries people have about attending a service is what they should wear. You definitely do not want to wear something that is inappropriate, so take some time to make this choice. Black is always a good color for the service, but you can wear other options, like dark blues and dark greens. You do not want to wear something that is very casual or revealing, so do keep that in mind.

Providers of funerary services also want you to remember to be on time. It can be incredibly disruptive for the other guests to hear someone coming in late. If you are someone who tends to be late often, you want to give yourself plenty of time to get there before the service starts. If you find that you cannot avoid being late, you want to take a seat at the back when you do arrive so that you do not bother anyone.

You will want to silence your phone or any other devices that you may have. A ringing phone in the middle of the service is not something that you want to have to worry about. Do remember that if your phone still makes a lot of noise even on silent, you will want to turn it off completely.

It is customary to greet the family of the deceased and offer them your condolences. Be sure to remember that they will be exhausted from making all of the arrangements and they will also be emotionally drained. It can be vital to consider this so that you do not take up too much of their time. Offer them your condolences and let them move on to the next person.

These are some important things to remember when attending a service, especially if you have never been one-to-one before. Wear something appropriate and make sure to get there on time so that you do not bother anyone with your late arrival. If your phone still makes a lot of noise even on silent, remember to turn it off before the service starts. If you still have questions or concerns about attending the service of a loved one, you could reach out to a Parkville, PA cremation services provider like us. We have years of experience, and we can offer the guidance you need when laying a loved one to rest. Give us a call right now or visit us today to learn more about the services we can offer.