Different Types of Cremations
When considering cremation services in Syracuse, NY there are many different options that you can choose as part of your funeral planning.
Direct cremation is one option. With direct cremation, there is no service or ceremony before the cremation. When your loved one dies, the funeral home will transport the body from the place of death to the crematory. You will meet with the funeral director to provide clothes for your loved one, to authorize the cremation, and to indicate who in the family is authorized to pick up the cremation remains.
The funeral director will get the information needed to obtain death certificates and the permits needed for the cremation. This usually takes 24-48 hours after a loved one dies.
Cremations are very thoroughly overseen by funeral directors, including ensuring that the dignity and honor of the deceased person is maintained.
If your loved one has any implanted medical devices that contain lithium batteries (such as pacemakers), they will be removed because lithium batteries can cause extensive damage to the cremation chamber.
Jewelry, eyeglasses, and hearing aids will be returned to the family. There are several charitable organizations that take donations of eyeglasses and hearing aids to refurbish them and provide them to people who do not have the financial means to pay for them. Donating these items is a great way to remember your loved one and give the gift of sight and hearing to other people.
Your loved will be prepared for cremation and will be tagged with a non-combustible tag that will stay with the remains throughout the cremation process. Your loved one will be identified, either by a family member or by a current photo.
Once your loved one has been positively identified and tagged, the body will be put into a fully-combustible container, which will be moved into the cremation chamber.
Cremation, which is a process that combines intense heat and evaporation, will typically take two to three hours.
Afterward, what is left is bone fragments. Once these cool, a magnet will be run over them to check for any metal pins, screws, fillings, or plates that your loved one may have had. These will be removed and the bone fragments will be pulverized to an extremely fine consistency.
These remains will be put into a plastic bag and placed in a temporary container or an urn, if you’ve purchased one. The family member who is authorized to pick up the remains will be notified.
If you don’t choose direct cremation for your loved, you can choose to have an optional visitation (with the body present) and funeral service, or just a funeral service (without the body present) before the cremation. If you choose to have a visitation, your loved one will lie in repose in a cremation casket during the visitation and funeral service. Afterward, your loved one and the fully-combustible container will altogether be transferred for the cremation.
You can also choose to have your loved one cremated and then hold a memorial service for them at the funeral home at a later date. Some people choose this type of cremation because their families are scattered around the country – or the world – and family members need to plan for travel and time off from work.
The fourth type of cremation is one in which your loved one’s body is donated for scientific research. Many of the medical advances and new knowledge, especially in diseases like cancer, heart disease, and dementia, come from whole body donations, where researchers can do extensive testing and analysis that is impossible on people who are living.
If you’d like to learn more about Syracuse, NY cremations, our compassionate and experienced team at Bagozzi Twins Funeral Home, Inc. is here to help. You can visit us at our funeral home at 2601 Milton Ave., Solvay, NY 13209, or you can call us today at (315) 468-2431.
