How To Reduce Stress Around Funeral Home Plans Posted on December 19, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes There’s likely going to be some stress around planning final services for a loved one with funeral homes in Urbandale, IA. There’s no way around that. But when you start to feel like the stress is too large for you to handle, you are going to need to reduce the overwhelming emotions. Here are some of the ways you can relieve yourself from some of the burdens so you can get through this hard time. Let Others Help You have a lot on your shoulders, but that doesn’t mean you have to plan every detail, even if you are the person who is ultimately in charge of things. When other family members offer to chip in and help, let them. If someone offers to host and organize the reception, thank them and let them step in. If a family member asks what you need from the store, give them a list. Take people up on their offers to help and if you don’t get enough offers, reach out and ask. People are willing to help you in these hard situations. Allow Yourself To Rest Your body is going through a trying time right now. Grieving is emotional, but also a physical thing. You are going to want to rest whenever you feel the need so you have the energy you need to get through the plans. You may not be sleeping that well overnight, which is normal, so when you feel tired during the day, let yourself take a break from the plans, from family, and from everything else and nap on the couch. Take Things One At A Time There are a lot of details that get wrapped up into the funeral home planning process. When you look at the list of things you need to decide and get through, it can be a lot. Try not to stress over the many things you need to do and instead, tell the funeral director to give you one thing at a time. First, they might ask you to decide on a casket for your loved one. Then, they might have you pick out a cemetery plot and so on. Taking one decision at a time can help you to de-stress by looking at just what’s in front of you and not the large picture at hand. Grieve When You Need To Grieving is something that is quite natural and you are going to want to allow it to happen whenever it needs to. If you feel the need to cry, take a break from your planning and do so. Have a family member come over and give you a shoulder to cry on. Allow yourself those moments to vent your emotions because it really can help you to relieve stress. Listen To Expert Advice The professionals at funeral homes in Urbandale, IA are there to help you through the planning process and that includes giving you advice. Their advice can really help you to put stress into perspective.
Affordable Memorials After Cremation Services Posted on December 12, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes Once a loved one goes through cremation services in Des Moines, IA, you might have a memorial service for them and you may even gather with family to lay them to rest in a nice location through scattering, burial, or another avenue. But there are things you can do yourself to memorialize your loved one in an affordable manner. Here are some of the things you can consider doing. A Music Playlist If your loved one may have had certain musical tastes and you want to remember their eclectic style. Make a playlist you know they would be proud of and when you want to think of them, play that in the background of your day. You can play it when you look at pictures of them, when you are reading, or any other time you feel the need to do so. Planting A Garden Or Tree If your loved one had a green thumb, it can make sense to plan things for them and think of them while they grow and you care for those items. Planting a tree in your yard can be especially moving as that is something that will get huge and be around for a long time. You can also plant a garden with flowers, vegetables they enjoyed or liked to grow themselves, and other such things. It doesn’t have to cost much to have your own memorial right there in your yard. A Scrapbook You likely have a lot of pictures of your loved one and you might want to organize them in a manner that gives you something to look over when you want to think about your loved one. You can put them into a scrapbook, for example, and decorate around them. You can add movie stubs, quotes, or anything else around the pictures and make it something that is special and just for you. Repurposes Belongings You may have ended up with some of your loved one’s belongings, and they are going to be very special to you. But are you really going to wear their old concert t-shirts? Probably not. Have a quilt made out of them instead so you can have them out, enjoy them, and even use the blanket as something to keep yourself warm. It can feel like a hug from your loved one when you use it. There are lots of other things you can use in different ways as memorials for your loved one. Cremation Jewelry Something special you might appreciate is a piece of cremation jewelry. You can place a little bit of your loved one’s ashes inside this piece and wear your loved one close to your heart. You can also store it in your house, perhaps on display in a place of honor, when you aren’t wearing it. If you are trying to figure out how to memorialize your loved one after their cremation services in Des Moines, IA, there are plenty of affordable things you can do. Talk to the cremation providers and get more details.
Funeral Directors—General Characteristics Posted on December 5, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes There are some people that fit naturally into the role of a funeral director. While you may not be able to imagine doing that job yourself, there are individuals who feel called into the industry and couldn’t imagine working anywhere other than in funeral homes in Des Moines, IA. As is true in most industries, some people are better at their jobs as funeral directors than others. When you are searching for professionals, here are some of the things you are going to want in your funeral directors. Compassionate Every funeral director should be very good at showing compassion. Most of them come by this ability naturally and they all get a lot of practice at it, which makes them even better at giving you what you need moving forward. You should feel the compassion from the funeral director right away and every step of the process. If you don’t feel it, that might not be the right funeral home for you. Supportive Funeral directors are there to ensure you get what you need, and that your loved one who has passed on does as well. They are not, however, there to make decisions for you. They will support whatever you decide and when you have questions, they will support you with the information you need to make the right decisions for your family. They will also support you with implementation, compassion, ideas, and everything else you need to gather the right options for this event. Dedicated You want the funeral director to be dedicated to their job, not someone who is searching for something different to do. You should feel their dedication in the ideas they offer, the time they are willing to spend with you, and how they seem to want everything to be just right as badly as you do. Hard-Working Funeral directors sometimes work odd hours. They need to be available to you any time of the day or night because people aren’t going to pass away just during business hours when it’s convenient. You want your funeral director to be accessible and willing to work as long and as hard as they need to in order to take care of the needs you have before you. Creative You may know what you want for some of your loved one’s final services, but for other areas, you may not have any ideas. Funeral directors are often creative individuals who are there to help you with ideas and options so you can figure out just what direction you want to take for your family. If you are trying to figure out what funeral home you are going to use for your loved one’s final services, you will want to look especially carefully at the funeral director. You want certain characteristics in that individual because they are going to be a point person in this process. There are lots of things you will want in funeral homes in Des Moines, IA you use for something as important as final services, including a funeral director with just the right personality and style.
What Affects The Cremation? Posted on November 28, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes Various things will affect the cremation in Urbandale, IA and how much it will cost you to complete the procedure. Because multiple factors affect cremation, you’ll find that it can be difficult to learn why the cost is what it is. As such, we have some information that you should look at before deciding if cremation is the right move for you. You Cannot Have Any Medical Devices Medical devices and cremation won’t mix, and you can’t have any if you decide to cremate yourself or others. For instance, you can’t have any hearing aids or pacemakers. These won’t work with the procedure, and the pacemaker can explode. Before you have your loved one cremated, this is something that you will have to consider seriously. Body Weight Affects The Cost You should know that there is no weight limit for cremation, but your weight will play a part. Many people don’t consider this fair, but body weight will play a factor in determining costs. The heavy bodies are more complicated than the cremation process, affecting how much you need to pay. In addition, there are other regulations that you’ll have to be aware of. How You Wish The Cremation To Go Another factor you’ll need to consider is how you want to be cremated. You can choose fire or water, and this is what most people don’t know. Liquid cremation and eco-friendly cremation are two new factors that come into play. Liquid cremation involves the use of water at a specific temperature and pressure. In contrast, a green cremation will employ potassium hydroxide to help the body decompose in the most natural way possible. The Timing Is Mostly The Same The timing for cremation is similar as well. No matter what you’re dealing with, cremation should only take a few hours. Because that’s the case, you’ll find it doesn’t take as long as you think to have your loved one cremated. In addition, you’ll find that the home will ensure that they are placed in a lovely urn of your choosing. Many people love that you can utilize multiple colors and designs to honor your loved one’s unique personality and what they liked when they were alive. What Do You Want To Have Done? Another factor that will affect cremation is the services that you want to be done. If you intend on having a viewing, memorial service, and full-service funeral, you’ll find that the costs add up quickly, and you might end up paying far more than you thought you would. Other services that can add to this process are flowers, decorations, and other things of that nature. Cremation Is A Good Choice Cremation Urbandale, IA is viable for you and your loved ones if you want something quicker and easier. In addition to this, the cremation will go smoothly, and you’ll have no issues for your family. This creates a gentler funeral plan for your family, and the urn can be taken home immediately so the grieving process can begin.
Things About Cremation That You Don’t Know Posted on November 21, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes Cremation in West Des Moines, IA is something that has been around for thousands of years. Many people think they know everything about cremation when they don’t. However, we can show you a variety of facts about this process that you don’t know. This can make your decision on whether or not to cremate much easier. You Have Multiple Options For The Remains When you begin thinking of what you can do with the remains, you can have various options. You can place them in an urn that looks like an instrument or other items. You could also turn your loved one’s ashes into jewelry, or you can identify their ashes inside a stone. Pet Cremations Happen Too, And Frequently It may be a simple idea, but people cremate pets as well. It is a popular means of disposing of a pet’s body, and like human remains, you can turn them into diamonds or keep the urn with you no matter where you go. This is a lovely way to honor your pet because they’re also precious to you and deserve that recognition. The Legend Is True When You Visit If you travel to the happiest place on Earth and chances are you will, you’ll realize that the legend about scattering ashes is true. If you hear someone say HEPA cleanup, that means someone scattered ashes, and someone will go clean it. Studies found that a particular haunted ride is the most significant area for depositing remains. You should never attempt to do this. They don’t like it, it’s forbidden, and you can get permanently banned. Celebrities Have Given Us Unique Ideas Celebrities have done exciting things with their remains or the remains of their loved ones. For instance, some journalists had their cremated ashes blasting into the sky and then had a firework show with the remains. Another celebrity decided that they would send their loved one’s ashes into the ocean or space. These ideas are innovative and fun while creating great ideas for how to honor your loved ones. Only One Body Gets Processed At A Time Only one body will get processed at one time. The machine used to cremate bodies can only fit one body simultaneously. People believe that they can do more, but machines can’t handle anything beyond one body. The device can also burn one body simultaneously that it would take you to watch a long movie. The remains will weigh about the same as a bowling ball at the end of the process. The Cremation Process Is Simple The cremation in West Des Moines, IA process is simple, and most people find it a viable way to dispose of your loved one’s remains. As such, you will find that almost every country in the world employs this as a way to honor the dead. Because of these options, you’ll see that governments across the globe use this method almost exclusively at over ninety-five percent. If you join them in this decision, you’ll give your loved one a good funeral plan.
A Time When Funerals Were Viewed Differently Posted on November 14, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes While funerals are a large procession now and have intricate detailing and arrangements, it wasn’t always this way. In ancient times, you would find that funerals were either very small or significantly large, depending on the culture that you came from. As such, you’ll see that the area or period that you lived in would highly impact what type of funeral you had. Now, we have a funeral home in Urbandale, IA to help, which truly makes all the difference. It Used To Be Common To Share A Coffin In the past few centuries, a funeral would be different because if you needed a coffin, you might have to share one. If your family could not afford one for yourself, this was an issue you would face. If this were the case, you would be brought from your home to the churchyard in a community coffin, and if you needed to be buried in a coffin afterward, it might have been one that was already used by someone else. The other scenario is that your body would have been put in with someone else who was family. Many believed this was a loving gesture, showing that humans have always tended to care for each other. Medieval Farm Techniques Created Our Cemeteries Another thing you’ll be able to see in today’s times that we can thank the past for is the cemetery burials. These burials are placed in alignment with a medieval furrow or ridge. This means that a cemetery is established upon the troughs and peaks in our landscape because of the medieval farming or plowing they used to do daily. Many people are incredibly surprised by this fact because they don’t think that a system from centuries ago would be able to stand the test of time and help the methods that we use today. They Would Send Off Their Loved Ones In A Different Way Back then, many people had a belief system different from the one we have now. In particular, mourners turned over a picture of their loved one or covered the mirror, believing that that would help them pass on to the next life more easily. Other cultures adopted the method that you couldn’t cry when someone was about to pass because it was believed that the soul would hear it and be unable to find its way. That would turn out to be the most difficult thing to endure because keeping their tears at bay was incredibly difficult. However, because this is what they believed, they would force themselves to wait. Everyone Thinks Differently Everyone thinks differently when it comes to funerals, and the choice will ultimately come down to what you feel you need to have with your or your family. This is where talking to the funeral home can genuinely come in handy. Because of their expertise, you know about being sure that you have a funeral home in Urbandale, IA director that can genuinely help you accomplish what you need to while being caring and supportive at the same time.
The Truth About Funeral Homes Posted on November 7, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes Everyone seems to want to know the inner workings of a funeral home in West Des Moines, IA, and we have some interesting tidbits you might enjoy. While many think the funeral home director is someone who has a fascination with death, you’d be wrong. They have a passion for life and helping the people left behind. Curious about the things they see daily? Keep reading our list below! The Body Is Not Moving Many myths surround the body and what it does after death. As such, you’ll see that many people wonder about hair and fingernails as well as other issues. You’ll find that the nails and hair do not grow after death. This is a completely false myth. In addition to this, the body does not sit up or do anything else when you’re deceased is brought to the home. They Are Not Frozen Another myth is that bodies are stored like frozen vegetables, and that’s not true either. The body will go through an embalming process, meaning they don’t need to be kept on ice. However, if you don’t decide to embalm, that changes the game as the body decomposes faster. Embalming Isn’t Always Required Embalming is only required when people are going to visit the body. This means that you have chosen to hold a viewing where people can touch the body. You don’t want disease or biohazards to occur, so the body is embalmed so you can be safe. This way, you get to see your loved one before they’re buried. Mourners Used To Stop The Clocks One tradition that is different from today is that the funeral mourners used to stop the clocks at a funeral or when someone passed away. They believed it would stop bad luck and symbolize the loved one’s passing. People would also cover mirrors or ensure that every portrait of the deceased was turned over. We’re All Roommates During the medieval period, churches had community coffins. These were used to transport people to the churchyard from home. For a minute, your body could lay where hundreds had before you. Let’s hope everyone was placed in the coffins after they were cleaned. We Don’t Know Everything About The Past Yet For almost a century or more, no one knew what ancient Britain used to do for their funerals. There were many theories over time, but the evidence was practically invisible. Human remains were in places like Yorkshire but couldn’t be found anywhere else. Talk about a mystery. What Do You Think About Funerals? Now that you’ve seen the trends of the past and what people used to do, what do you think about funerals? We’ve also shown some modern additions to showcase how things have changed in recent years. You can see that the embalming process is more involved, and we bet you’re relieved that the body doesn’t sit up like you thought, right? Instead, you can know the facts from fiction and be prepared when you have to plan your funeral and questions to ask the funeral home director in West Des Moines, IA.
Don’t Put Off Funeral Home Pre-Planning Posted on October 24, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes There are lots of reasons to pre-plan final services with a Funeral home in West Des Moines, IA, and more people recognize that today than ever before. If you’ve ever thought about making plans, you might know some of the benefits of planning ahead. It just makes sense. It’s a good thing for your peace of mind and final wishes and it’s a great thing for your family and relieving them of future burdens, too. While you might understand that, you still put off planning things. Why is that? Here are a few reasons you won’t want to put off pre-planning if it is something you feel you want to do. 1-You Never Know When You Will Die Even if you are young and healthy, you can’t predict the date and time of your death. You just can’t. You hope that you live to be 100 and that you are perfectly healthy until then, but you just don’t know what will happen next year, or even tomorrow. Since you never know when you are going to die, it’s safest to put your pre-planning ideas into action sooner rather than later. You want to have those plans in place as soon as you can so they can take action whenever you need them. Hopefully, you won’t need them for decades, but even if you need them in a few years, they will be there when necessary. 2-Health Isn’t Always Guaranteed You feel like you hardly get colds and COVID either skipped you entirely or was completely mild when you had it. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have something lurking in you, just waiting to come you. More people are getting cancer today than ever before, for example, and it’s not always something you can predict. Even if you are healthy now, you may not be next year. And it can be a lot easier to make your pre-plans when you have health on your side and are able to think clearly about every decision you have to make. 3-Your Family Has No Idea What You Want Not every family talks about what they want for their final services. It’s an awkward topic and you probably don’t really want to bring it up, right? No one does, but it’s something that might be important to your family someday. It’s nice to let them know what you want and, likewise, you can ask them what they want. If you’ve never talked about it before, that’s all the more reason not to put off pre-planning. Once the plans are in place, you can hand them over to your family and they know just which company to call when the time comes. There’s really no right or wrong time to call the funeral home in West Des Moines, IA to make final service plans, but you can wait too long and if it’s too late, there’s nothing you can do. Instead, don’t delay but rather get those plans into place soon so you and your family don’t have to worry.
Is A Memorial Service Important For Cremation? Posted on October 17, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes When you decide on cremation services in Des Moines, IA on behalf of a loved one who passed on, that’s the only decision you have to make right away. The professionals needs to know what you want done to care for your loved one’s needs. You will choose a cremation package and that will have everything your loved one needs at this time. However, you can always add things to that package, and many people do. You might, for example, want to have a memorial service for your loved one. That service can even feel highly important to you. Here are a few reasons memorial services can be an important part of the grieving process. Give Closure Chances When someone close to you passes on, you are going to need to find closure in that death. Closure comes when you recognize the person is gone and they are not coming back. That closure can come in a number of ways, but many family members and friends may get it through a memorial service of some kind. These symbolic services mark the end of a life and the beginning of a new normal. That can help people to get the closure they have to have so they can move forward with their life. Say Goodbye Saying goodbye can be an important thing to family members and friends who may not have gotten that opportunity before the person passed on. Those final words can be very meaningful, even though the person is already gone. They can say them out loud to family, to the person’s urn, or even just in their hearts. A whispered word or two can go a long way in healing. Family Is Together Family doesn’t often get together and if yours wants to honor someone special, a memorial service is a good excuse to gather and mourn as a group. You can be together, get the support you need, and give it to your family as well. When the group is together, you remember what you have in your life and how you can move forward together as a group. Honor That Special Person Your loved one was unique and special and they held a certain spot in your life. Now that they are gone, you might feel like honoring them is a nice way to go. Having a memorial service to honor them is a very nice thing to do, even if you don’t feel like you have to say goodbye or get closure. Still, honoring that person can still feel like the right thing to do. The package you get for cremation services in Des Moines, IA will care for your loved one’s needs, but there are other things you can do in addition to that package, like having a memorial service. You can do whatever you want on any timeline and that service can be very important to the overall services you decide to have. Talk to the professionals about the options and move forward from there.
Funeral Home Services Can Be Simple Posted on October 10, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes When you have to contact a Funeral home in Des Moines, IA, you are either planning ahead for yourself, or making plans for a loved one who has passed on. When you look over the options, you might feel overwhelmed. Take a deep breath and know that there are simple ways to make plans for your loved one. IT’s okay to take a beat and slow things down. Here are a few ways to simplify the process so you can feel confident about the options while getting things in order efficiently. Understand The Options One of the first things the funeral home is going to need to know is whether you want cremation or a funeral for your loved one. If you don’t completely understand the difference between the options, the decision could be made a lot easier by getting a thorough explanation. Even if you think you know what you want, understanding the options and relating them to your loved one and your exact situation can make you feel just right about what you choose. Once you understand what you can have in either direction, you can move ahead. Choose A Package And Go From There You are going to want to take care of your loved one’s needs, first and foremost. That can be done through choosing a package, either for cremation or a funeral. Once that package is in place, you can rest assured that your loved one’s needs will be met. You can add anything you want to the package, but it is usually easiest to start with a package and go from there. Once the package is there, you can take a little time with the other options. Consider Other Options There are a lot of different things you can do once you have the package in place. If you decide on cremation, you don’t have to decide on anything outside of the cremation package you got. You can put those things off, if you want, or move forward right away. With funerals, you have other decisions to make, but you still have a lot of options to consider to include or leave out. Making final service plans for a loved one is never easy since it means you are mourning for that special person. But the funeral in Des Moines, IA is available to help you streamline the process and make it as easy as possible. Using their professional help can allow you to relax as you know their guidance is not going to steer you wrong. They know what has to be done and they won’t let you leave anything out along the way. You can trust that they have planned these things many times before and they will support whatever you decide to do for your loved one. They won’t make decisions for you, but they have plenty of suggestions and ideas as well as options to help you get what you want and need for that special person in your life that passed one.
