All posts by : eric

Biding farewell to a departing soul is one of the toughest tasks. Whether the demise is unexpected or anticipated both bring sadness and utmost grief. During difficult times, you need someone to take the reins. Professional funeral experts can support your family by providing the best funeral arrangements. They are the people you can rely upon in your distressing time. Let’s discuss some of the common options and different levels of services available.

1. Graveside Services

Grieving is a natural part of losing someone. A graveside service helps people start this process. It gives them a chance to express their feelings and share their sorrow.

Graveside service arrangements are important for many reasons. They allow loved ones to gather in a peaceful setting. These moments provide a chance to reflect, share memories, and find closure.

For some families, the simplicity of a graveside service feels more personal. It creates an intimate atmosphere that focuses on honoring the person’s life. Personal touches make the service more meaningful and unique. They show how much the loved one was cherished. For some, graveside services are deeply tied to religious or cultural traditions.

2. Direct cremation Service

Direct cremation is the simplest and most cost-effective option for families. Direct cremation usually doesn’t include memorial services. It is also a more eco-friendly option as the process uses fewer resources. Direct cremation service is also a popular choice because of its flexibility and affordability.

3. Direct Burial

The deceased person’s body is transported to burial ground after appropriate paperwork is filled out. The family may choose to have a service after the burial with a very few guests. Individuals may choose a direct burial for a loved one for various reasons. These include

• Deceased one requested direct burial as their final wish
• Keep the burial simple to decrease stress
• keep the expenses down
• Loved ones are unable to travel for service
• Want to plan a memorial at a later date

4. Traditional Funeral Services

Discuss your budget and preferred type of resting place with a funeral director if you and your loved ones opt for a standard funeral and burial service. While many people might think of a traditional casket or coffin and ground burial, you could also consider a mausoleum. A mausoleum is generally less expensive since you do not have to purchase a plot of land, and an additional sealant for the coffin is not required. There may be some costs associated with entombment, but these are typically low and not ongoing.

Conclusion

Nobody wishes to plan a burial service for their loved one. It is, nevertheless, the reality of life. Death is inevitable and we genuinely wish to honor our loved one in a meaningful way. It is best to leave graveside service arrangements to the experts. They have attentive and experienced staff that ensures everything is handled to the preferences of the family.

Full Service Mortuary Solutions From NMS

Your funeral home gets a call from a local family, letting your team know that one of their loved ones has passed away. The deceased may be in their home, just miles from your location. These situations are familiar and your funeral home can step right into action, arranging for transport. But as you know, not every scenario is as straightforward.

There are times when a family’s loved one might die unexpectedly while on vacation across the country. Perhaps the individual was living in another state for their retirement and expressed wishes to return to their home state for burial. These situations will require domestic mortuary shipping.

What Is the Domestic Mortuary Shipping Process?

Domestic mortuary shipping is needed when a loved one passes away in another state and the family needs to return their remains home. There are two options: ground transportation or shipping the remains by air. This is referred to as domestic mortuary, or funeral, shipping.

Here is the play-by-play:

• The Receiving Funeral Home (RFH) will connect to a funeral home where the deceased is located, known as the Shipping Funeral Home (SFH).
• The SFH will prepare the deceased for transportation. 
• The RFH will accept the remains, prepare the deceased for viewing or burial, and organize services per the family’s wishes.

While it is simple on paper, as you know, there are many details and steps along the way that must be handled and followed with the utmost care and attention. A misstep with shipping remains can cause extra stress—and extra expenses—for a family that only wants to bring their deceased loved one home.

Domestic Mortuary Shipping Questions

These are just some of the considerations when it comes to coordinating details between two funeral homes in different locations, while keeping the family informed.

• Timing
  Timing is a central concern, as it impacts next steps: How long will it take to return the deceased home? When should you advise the family to schedule services? Are there any potential delays? 
• Paperwork
  Every place of death has different paperwork: embalming and cremation authorizations, releases, identification requirements, death certificates. It is critical to understand the requirements specific to each location.
• Preparation of Remains
  How will the remains be shipped? Will they be embalmed? How will the remains be packed for transport?

All of these details must be thoughtfully considered, finalized, and executed.

Find a Mortuary Shipping Partner You Can Trust

With all of the nuances of domestic mortuary shipping, and the potential problems if it isn’t handled correctly, it is so important to find a partner you can trust in the deceased’s location of death. When you work with a mortuary services provider like National Mortuary Shipping, you unlock access to our network of trusted and vetted funeral homes around the world. 

Discover how our domestic mortuary shipping services can be an asset to your funeral home, allowing you to focus on serving families while our experts handle all the details.

Cremation has been a popular choice in the last few years. However, another option that is gaining popularity is the direct cremation. It is the simplest and most cost-effective choice for traditional funerals and burials.

Direct cremation is when the body is cremated without a funeral service. The person’s remains are directly sent to the cremation facility and their ashes are collected by the families. However, there is so much you need to know about direct cremation services.

Understanding What is Direct Cremation?

Direct cremation is a different approach where the body is cremated soon after the death and is not embalmed. It does not include any other service, and ashes are returned to the family. It is a modern way of doing things that focuses on cremating the remains with no formal ceremony or visit.

List of 5 Things about Direct Cremation You Need to Know

1. No Need for Embalming
Embalming refers to the process that helps preserve human remains for a short time. It can be done using chemicals. It is used to prepare the deceased to be suitable for funeral viewings or ceremonies.

2. Memorial Services can Be Held
Direct cremation services don’t include funeral services. But it does not mean that services can’t be done after that. Once the ashes have been returned to the family, they can hold any funeral or burial services or any other ceremonies they want. Direct cremation provides flexibility as there is no time constraint.

3. Families can Witness the Cremation
Many direct cremation service providers let the family and friends witness the cremation. They offer some designated areas where families can gather and witness the process. Even in some cases, the family can initiate the process.

4. Direct Cremation Services are More Eco-Friendly
This option is more sustainable as it uses fewer resources and is typically less labor-intensive. Also, there are some other reasons why it is eco-friendly such as no embalming chemicals needed, no need for burial plots, etc.
Direct cremation helps produce fewer greenhouse gases and lower the carbon footprint.

5. Simple and Flexible
Direct cremation services offer flexibility in different ways. Families can choose which type of cremation they would like. Family members can handle the planning and paperwork themselves. Even they can decide when these services should hold and more.

In The End
Nowadays direct cremation is an increasingly popular choice because of its simplicity and affordability. We at National Mortuary Shipping and Cremations make your process of shipping and cremation stress-free. We offer a wide range of services including, direct cremation, graveside service arrangements, embalming, and many more. Our team handles all aspects of transportation and ensures all the necessary protocols are followed.

When a person passes away in a foreign land, the process of repatriating the body to another country can be a daunting task for anyone to deal with. For funeral directors working with families grieving the loss of a family member, there are so many things to consider.

Funeral repatriation service providers can handle all aspects of bringing the body back, no matter where the final resting place for the deceased is. With the assistance of a specialist, you can rest assured that every aspect of the repatriation process will be handled with care and dignity. Here is some of what you need to know about funeral repatriation services.

What is Funeral Repatriation?

Repatriation refers to the process of transporting human remains from one location to another. This can include crossing national or international borders for burial or cremation keeping with family wishes or cultural customers.

Funeral Repatriation process can include:

• Gathering documentation like autopsy reports, death certificates, transit permits, embalming certificates, etc.
• Preparing the body for safe transportation through embalming and placement in a protective casket.
• Navigating customs, clearances and immigration formalities.
• Coordinating transportation depending on the distance and mode of transport used.
  Performing the final rites in the ancestral land is of utmost importance in many cultures. This increases the need to repatriate the remains of the deceased.

Importance of Funeral Repatriation Services

Arranging transportation of a body when a person dies abroad may seem like a logistical nightmare. Different countries have different rules for transporting the remains of a deceased person. Funeral Repatriation Services, like National Mortuary Shipping provide support to funeral directors during the challenging times. Through their knowledge, they provide assistance to funeral directors supporting grieving families. These professionals handle the intricacies of repatriation to bring the deceased back to their homeland

National Mortuary Shipping and Cremation guide the funeral directors through the documentation process and coordinate with relevant authorities to ensure a smooth transfer. This also includes handling the logistics related to the process while adhering to all the regulations.

When Families Might Need Funeral Repatriation Service?

A family may choose repatriation for various reasons after a loved one has died abroad, including

1. Fulfilling last wishes of the deceased who requested burial in the home country
2. Cultural or religious beliefs related to burial location.
3. Lack of visits to grave site if buried abroad
4. Family preferences to have mourning, funeral and grave memorials in the home country.
5. Avoiding complex bureaucracy of a burial in foreign land.

Timeframe for Repatriation

The timeframe for repatriation depends on specific circumstances such as delays in paperwork, customs clearance, availability of flights, etc. The duration also depends on the cause of death. If the death is natural the process can be shorter while for a suspicious death, the investigation can take longer which can cause delays in the process.

Conclusion:
Regardless of where a person has died, funeral repatriation services, like National Mortuary Shipping and Cremation take care of the transportation to make the process less time-consuming for the families that funeral directors serve.

At National Mortuary Shipping & Cremation, our shipping specialists work directly with funeral directors to ensure that every detail is handled with care and dignity. We understand the challenges of funeral repatriation and provide solutions that support funeral directors in providing professional care to grieving families.

To say that the funeral service industry is changing would be an understatement.

The rise of green burials is bringing with it a whole new industry, and to be successful, you have to be on top of it. Families are more concerned than ever with the expenses associated with cremation and are looking for alternatives and less expensive methods when available. We are more connected than ever, but also more spread out than ever, so mortuary shipping has evolved to keep up with the changing landscape and technology to increase efficiency. But, the funeral service itself has changed as well, and as the internet provides more examples of creative and unique ways to say goodbye to our loved ones, the traditional funeral experience is becoming a thing of the past.

So what do you do when someone comes to you for a non-traditional funeral service?

If you are used to just preparing for funerals at your facility, and someone walks in and requests a funeral on a beach or at a local park, where would you begin? These types of events are becoming more and more popular as people begin to look at them as celebrations rather than goodbyes. Your funeral home has to be prepared for any number of scenarios where a family wants you to assist with a funeral that will take place outside of the walls of your home. So, where do you begin?

1. Make sure that the family is making a good decision. As with any funeral planning session, you want to begin with a good discussion. Listen to what the family is saying and help them make sure that a non-traditional service works for them. Let them know that there could be additional expenses and that paperwork and permissions might mean that the process cold take a little longer as well. Let them know that you will help in any way possible, but that once the process begins, it could be tough to revert to a traditional service, so allow them the time they need to make sure that they are making a sound decision initially. Factors like weather, traffic, accessibility and other unseen obstacles might need to be addressed, so think of every possible scenario you can while helping to plan out this type of service.
2. Encourage pre-need services to all of your families. This is another reason why pre-need services are so important in today’s market. The more you know ahead of time, the easier it will be to plan out non-traditional services. Pre-need isn’t just about saving money – it’s about making sure that the family gets the service they want and increasing the likelihood that you’ll be successful in delivering it. It might be too late in some instances, but for those families you know well, it doesn’t hurt to have the pre-need discussion so that everyone is on the same page going into a non-traditional event.
3. Make sure it’s legal. Many people are considering non-traditional burial sites to go along with their non-traditional services. Home burials are increasing in popularity now that cemeteries are becoming overcrowded and space is limited. In most states, this is legal, but they do usually require a funeral director to handle arrangements. In many states, embalming is required for a home burial, so if the family doesn’t want their descendent embalmed, that could raise an issue. Check with your local authorities to see about limitations. There are also people requesting to be buried at their favorite park or other alternate sites. Believe it or not, this could be a viable option depending on the facility. It’s always worth asking if it means a family finds comfort, so don’t be too quick to say it can’t be done.
4. Remember it’s not about you. A funeral service at a bowling alley might not be the way you would choose to say goodbye to your loved one, but for a grieving family, this might be the closure they need. Remember not to judge and just support the family in any way you can to make the occasion as special for them as you can. As the internet gives more and more access to what other people are doing around the world, the ideas that pour in might get more and more abstract compared to a traditional service. Do what you can to accommodate and assist in any way possible.
5. Think about incorporating some ideas into your marketing. Be proactive. If you live by a body of water, it might not be a bad idea to contact someone with a large boat to talk about collaborating on sea burials. Spreading ashes in the water is a great tribute to those who love the aquatic life – why not make this a package you offer? Collaborate with a local park to offer services there for people who loved the outdoors. You might even be able to collaborate with a local sports team to have funeral services at their stadium for the devout fan! If you can provide alternative services and find a way to market them, it could be the perfect way to offer the family what they need and still keep the service profitable for your business.

Non-traditional services mean non-traditional planning. At National Mortuary Shipping & Cremation, we’ve seen it all. It’s our job to help you make arrangements, no matter how far outside the box they might be. From shipping a body internationally to arranging for gravesite ceremonies, we are here to make sure that you are taken care of so that you can take care of the families that are depending on you. Contact NMS today, and let us give you our traditional, excellent service for your non-traditional customer!

As we have learned over the past several months, COVID-19 knows no geographical boundaries. There are victims of this terrible virus in every pocket of the world, and it does not wait until its victims are in their hometown to strike. As we have seen on the news, large markets like New York City are inundated with remains from this virus, and it is making arrangements difficult for funeral homes like yours all over the United States and the world. One of the realities families are faced with is that it might not be logistically feasible to fly remains home prior to cremation. For funeral directors who have never been through this type of scenario, it can be daunting trying to find a firm you are comfortable with representing your firm. That is why National Mortuary Shipping would like to walk you through some information to help you understand what to do when faced with out-of-town cremation needs.

If they do not get help, families will start calling local funeral directors where the deceased is located on their own.

Families want answers fast, and when an unexpected tragedy, like a passing from COVID-19, enters their lives, they just want to get things moving so they feel like they are doing something to help. The problem is they do not know where to begin and can often end up making decisions that are not the best for themselves or the decedent because they were desperate. Many times, families assume that since they wish to have the deceased cremated prior to bringing them back home for a memorial service, they can work with a third-party crematorium close to the place of death. What families do not know is that they can still turn to their local funeral home to help with cremation needs out of town. Let them know that you are their resource and that you can help with all cremation arrangements. They will be glad to know that they can turn to you as a resource rather than a stranger they are meeting for the first time over the phone. This is part of the service that you deliver that makes you so valuable to the families you serve, and they will be grateful to know you are there to help!

NMS can work with you to be that resource.

Let the family know that all arrangements are going to be taken care of for the out-of-town cremation and then call us. We will make all the arrangements to ensure that everything is taken care of for you. Let us be your liaison, and we can make all the arrangements. This will allow you to focus on working with the family.

What arrangements will NMS make to help with direct cremation out of town?

NMS will start by taking care of all the paperwork that is needed to process the out-of-town cremation. We will get you any documents that need to be signed by you or the family and get them back to the right people to handle the process. We will handle transportation of the remains from the hospital or holding facility to the crematorium. We will then handle the shipping of the cremated remains back to your funeral home for the memorial service. The only things you will have to do are communicating with the family and addressing any paperwork we send over. This will allow you to maintain your reputation as a funeral home that provides total service, and the family you are serving can be assured that taking care of out-of-town cremation arrangements is simple and not something they need to be burdened with on their own.

This is a difficult time for all of us, but it is incredibly difficult for the families who are suffering through tragic deaths.
Together we can provide the services they need in a simple, straightforward manner so they are not burdened with making tough arrangements and decisions on top of the grief they are feeling. If you run into an out-of-town direct cremation and need help making it happen, contact us and we can assist you.

Every workplace and job position carry their own set of unique stressors. The mortuary field is no different. No matter how many funerals you direct, how many families you help with arrangements, or how many bodies you embalm or place into their final resting place, a career in the mortuary industry carries with it some very stressful trappings. From grieving families to the stress of being around the bodies themselves daily, there are many situations and experiences that mortuary workers suppress that aren’t exactly natural. You can train yourself to be positive and look at all the ways you are helping families and think about the difference you are making for others.  But, as with any job, at some point, the stress catches up with you, and you may realize you must find a way to shut off the pressure. All of us need an escape at one point or another.

In a recent study called “Attitudes in the American Workplace” that was conducted by stress.org, 80% of all Americans feel stress on the job, and more than half of them say they need help in learning how to deal with it. You are not alone. What might be surprising is that it’s not always working with death that is the true issue.

Often what is truly impacting workers in the mortuary industry is a common workplace agitator. It could be that you are working long hours (and non-traditional hours at that). As we know, the mortuary business is not always a 9-5 environment. But in that stress.org study, it was found that the average American is working about 47 hours a week, and 20% of all Americans are working 49 or more hours  (stress.org). Maybe it’s a co-worker or a boss that you don’t get along with. 29% of those surveyed said that they had yelled at a co-worker due to stress, and 42% said that yelling or other verbal abuse is common at their job (stress.org). The stress of those long hours and demanding environments is taking its toll on the American workplace.

So, how can you reduce your stress while working in a traditionally stressful industry like mortuary services? Whether you are at a funeral home, crematorium, cemetery or even a mortuary shipping company like ours, we’ve got some ways to reduce the stress and increase the productivity at your place of business.

1. Talk about the tough ones. No matter how long you’ve been in the mortuary game, there are always the “tough ones.” Children who pass away leaving behind grieving families. Military or civil service heroes who pass on while putting themselves in harm’s way to protect us. Friends and community leaders with whom we have close ties. There are simply some funerals that are tougher than others. It’s okay to admit that we are stressed out by those rough arrangements. Funeral industry workers are human. You can put on a calm front for your families that are counting on you, but when you get a chance to be alone or away from your clients, it’s your turn to grieve. Talking about the situation with your staff or colleagues in the industry can really help eliminate those dreadful feelings. It can be hard for family to relate, but you know they will listen if you give them a chance. Above all else, get it off your chest, no matter whose shoulder it is that you are crying on. Stress relief starts with communication.
2. Take some time to get away from it all. Would you believe that 55% of American workers fail to use all their vacation time (cbsnews.com)? We all tend to think that the business will collapse if we are gone for a few days, but the reality is that the world spins no matter which corner of it we are visiting. The key is to take a vacation that gets you away and truly isolated for a longer period than just a recharge weekend would allow. Quick trips are great too, but we all need that one longer vacation that will allow us to shut off the world for an extended time. It’s also great to find something all-inclusive so you don’t have to make as many decisions. Limit yourself to checking emails/texts once a day or, better yet, don’t check them at all. Your job will understand, and they will be glad to get a refreshed, eager employee in return!
3. Get out of the room for a while. Working in a crematorium can be extremely grueling. It’s hot, stressful work, and it’s physically demanding, especially in a facility that doesn’t have the most modern equipment. So, what can you do to help daily? Get out when you can during the day. Take a break. Make it a priority to get fresh air and disappear for lunch or a coffee break. Even a 10-minute walk can improve your mind’s ability to tackle the challenges of the rest of your day. You owe it to yourself to get away for a few moments to recompose.
4. Delegate when possible. One nearly universal trait of all funeral home directors is the idea that they must shoulder the entire burden themselves. Part of this is because they feel that if they can wear every hat at once they can cut down on expenses and stretch that bottom line. What they soon find out is that they get less done, have more unfinished tasks and have more stress in front of clients because it is impossible to get everything done. The solution is easy. Let someone help. You don’t have to do everything. You can also outsource some work. If paying the bills is stressful, hire a bookkeeping firm to help or an account to handle it. If logistics are an issue, there are services available, National Mortuary Shipping being one, that can help with some of those big-picture issues that you are having so that you can better focus on your clients. A stressed out, overworked funeral director is an inefficient one. You will be more productive and therefore more financially prudent if you let someone else help with some of the tasks that are weighing you down.

You are not alone. Almost every worker in America feels it. And, owning your own business doesn’t change things. So, if you can’t escape the stressors that come with being a mortuary industry worker or owner, you can at least try these simple techniques to help combat some of the workplace anxiety.

Looking for help with some of the more stressful aspects of funeral planning and mortuary logistics? National Mortuary Shipping has been helping people just like you with mortuary planning for over 35 years. Contact us today and download our mobile app to guarantee the most stress-free experience in mortuary shipping. We can’t send you on a cruise but can make things easier until you get to take one!