It can feel impossible to make plans for a loved one who has passed on and that’s completely normal. You may not know what they wanted and you have to guess as to what is best. Keep in mind that both traditional funerals and cremation services in Urbandale, IA are completely honorable and respectful. You just have to do what you feel is best for your loved one in your particular situation. There aren’t even any right or wrong reasons to choose one over the other. But you are going to want to avoid having regrets over those decisions later. Here are a few ways you can do that.

Choose The Right Funeral Home

Your loved one has immediate needs that have to be met and you will need help from a funeral home to do that. Some people rush forward and just call the first professionals they find, but that can cause regrets later. You’ll want to look into the options and ensure that the experts you choose have the services you want, have a good location, will treat you well, and will give your loved one everything they need. Choosing the right funeral home means looking at websites, reading reviews, making phone calls, and even visiting a few before you decide. It doesn’t have to take long, but you definitely want to check things out so you know you won’t regret your choice later.

Check With Family About Cremation

While you might be sure about the cremation option, you don’t want to regret that you moved forward with cremation only to discover that other people in your family weren’t okay with that option later. You might feel bad that you did something they didn’t like. Check with your family and see what they feel about cremation. If you are sure that’s what you want to do with your loved one for their final services, you can give your family a chance to ask questions and get details so they can come around to the idea. Cremation is permanent so you want to be confident about the option as you go into that service.

Not Having a Memorial Service

One nice thing about the cremation option is that once you have a loved one cremated, you erase the timeline. Their needs are met and you are able to do whatever else you want for them on any timeline you want to have in place. Some people aren’t sure what to do so they don’t do anything at all and that’s okay. You might regret not having a service later, but another good thing about cremation is that it’s never too late. You can have a cremation service at any time and honor your loved one however far into the future it might be.

Cremation services in Urbandale, IA are honorable and respectful, but they are also permanent ad you want to be sure about them before moving forward so you don’t have regrets. The professionals at Iles Funeral Home are here to help you with the details.

Send A Donation

You want the family to know you care about them and one thing you can do, other than sending the standard flower arrangement, is send money to them. Perhaps they need funds for the final services or maybe they have a charity in mind that they want to donate to in their loved one’s honor. Either way, they will appreciate your support. You can also send a donation right to a charity if the family has listed one that their loved one appreciates. You can also choose a charity you feel is fitting and let the family know what you have done in honor of the person who dies.

Send A Note

If you want to send money, you can send it inside a sympathy card, or you can just send the card and note if you don’t have money to spare or don’t feel led to do that. In your card, tell the family you are thinking of them and are sorry for their loss. You can also say you are sorry you couldn’t make it to the service, though you don’t have to expand on that with any reasons as to why you were absent.

Provide A Meal Later

Another common way to show your support is to provide the family with a meal later on, once the services are complete and they might be in mourning and unwilling to cook on their own. You can make a casserole that they can freeze and pull out whenever they need it. You could send groceries from an area store, or even contact a restaurant and order something for them to enjoy. Sending gift cards is another option as they can then get the food whenever they need it and use it that way. This is a nice way to be supportive, whether you live in the area or not.

You’ll want to attend the cremation services in Des Moines, IA if you can to show your support, but that’s just not always possible. The professionals at Iles Funeral Home can help you with ideas and options of things you might do instead of attending to ensure that the family knows you are thinking about them and are supporting them through this hard time. Sometimes, even a simple phone call later can be nice.