cremation Archives

The Differences Between Cremation And Burial – Choosing The Best Option For Your Loved One

01.23.2022

When someone passes away, it might be hard and confusing for the family to decide which preparation to choose between cremation and burial. Recently, cremation has become the most popular choice over burial. However, whether to choose cremation or burial depends on several factors.

The Remains of The Deceased

With traditional burial, the deceased is placed into the ground and rests there. The body remains intact. On the other hand, cremation is the process in which the body is burned into ashes. Both processes can take place immediately after the death and can be held with other funeral services.

In addition, in case of burial, it provides a gravesite for the family to visit. However, most families that live far away can only visit on special occasions. With cremation, the family has several options to choose what to do with the ashes afterward: scattering, keeping the ashes at home, or burying the ashes.

Learn More: What to Do with The Ashes Afterwards.

Cremation Cost vs. Burial Cost

In general, cremation is cheaper, which makes it become the most popular choice these days. The cost of cremation in Florida can be as low as $800 and usually less than $2000, whereas that of a basic burial ranges from a few thousand.

Learn More About Cremation Cost Breakdown: How Much Does Cremation Cost?

Below is the cost breakdown for a basic burial service:

- Fee for basic service – $4000
- Transportation of the body to the funeral home – $300
- Car for the transportation of flowers and other belongings – $130
- Preparation of the body – $200
- Embalming – $700
- Use of the staff and facility for the viewing and funeral – $900
- Hearse – $300
- A memorial print package such as memorial directories, registration book, acknowledgment cards – $150

Those do not include:

Grave plot- $1000
Burial vault – $1300
Opening and closing fee – $1200
Casket (metal) – $1000 – $15000
Headstone – $1500

Environmental Impact

There has been continuing debate over this topic. Basically, either option leaves behind some consequences because they both release pollutants during processing. However, we are looking forward to some technological advances that make both funeral methods environment-friendly at an affordable price.

Conclusion: Choosing From Cremation and Burial

In addition to the three basic factors above, there are more that people need to consider when making decisions. In most cases, which to choose significantly depends on the family’s financial status, the deceased’s will, and sometimes, religions and beliefs.

In Florida and across the U.S, there has been a substantial increase in cremation because of the cost and its convenience.

If you have difficulty choosing between options or need consultation, Going Home Cremations, with 20 years of experience in cremation and funeral services, is willing to help. We work and give you advice in your best interest.

For further information, please visit Our Affordable Cremation Page or Call Us For A Free Consultation!

What Is The Cheapest Way To Be Cremated?

12.21.2021

If you want to save, direct cremation is a good option. Direct cremation is the cheapest way to be cremated. On average, people generally pay $1,500 for Florida’s direct cremation and about $1,000 at Going Home Cremations.

What is Direct Cremation?

Direct cremation is cremation without ceremony and funeral services. After passing away, the body is taken directly to a crematory for the cremation process – there are no attendees, embalming, viewing, or visitation.

This can save families thousands of dollars as well as make the cremation process faster for families in case they need death certificates for estate matters.

Advantages Of Direct Cremation

Direct cremation offers a few advantages.

Firstly, it’s the cheapest alternative to traditional cremation and burial. The cost is cut down because it does not include a memorial service.

Secondly, direct cremation process is very fast, with the actual cremation only taking between one to three hours and the whole process can be done days earlier than other options.

Another advantage is that, once the cremation is completed, the family can still have their own service. However, it saves a considerable amount of time and money.

Direct Cremation – The Cheapest Way To Be Cremated

Regarding regular cremation, the body is transported from the hospital or hospice to a funeral home. The funeral home then performs normal funeral body preparations like embalming, dressing, and body preparations for cremation viewings. This can cost upwards of $7000.

The cost of cremation is higher due to the following payments:

Expensive Casket (The family can choose a simple and plain casket, which is more affordable.)
Embalming
Funeral Home Charges
Cosmetic and Dressing
Funeral Chapel or Church

Also, the environmental concerns of embalming have also made cremation and traditional burial less popular.

Direct Cremation Cremation Services In Florida

Direct cremation has become more and more popular now in Florida. The average cost of Florida direct cremation falls at $1500. Here at Going Home Cremations, we offer at the price of about $1000 for a Florida simple cremation.

For further information, please visit Our Affordable Cremation Page or Call Us!

Going Home Cremation: Our Selection of Urns for Cremation.

11.18.2021

At Going home cremation we offer a wide variety of cremation urns.

Not everyone will purchase an urn, but if you need an urn our prices are very affordable and our selection is quite vast. We also offer a basic urn at no cost when you arrange a cremation with us.

To see our specific urns, go to our cremation urn catalog on our website and please call Going home cremation at 941-320-1179 for pricing.

Types of Urns:

Cremation urns can range from solid marble urns to urns made out of cardboard for scattering at sea.

Scattering Urns:

Many families choose scattering urns in Florida because they do not want to put the ashes in a cemetery. Scattering urns can be made of cardboard and paper mâché so that they will disintegrate in the water.

We also have scattering urns that are made out of salt. The reason they make urns out of salt is so that it melts when it hits the water. Salt urns are not urns you want to have in storage for very long because they will disintegrate.

Wood Urns:

Many people choose wooden urns. Wooden urns come in many different colors and types of woods from Oak, Cherry, Pine and hardwoods. You can engrave wood or you can put plaques on wooden urns. A lot of people decide to use wooden urns and display them on the fireplace mantle or a bookcase.

Polystyrene Urns:

Another very popular urn is made out of man-made polystyrene. Those urns will go in the ground and will not disintegrate. A lot of times the man-made urns will resemble marble and can come in single and double urns are and are extremely durable.

Metal Urns:

Metal urns are a great long lasting durable option for urns. Metal urns tend to be some of the most ornate type of urns you can purchase as well.

Going Home Cremation’s most popular urns are found on page one and are our metal urns in the shape of a vase and have many different flowers, scenes, and designs.

Keepsake Urns:

Going home cremation also offers a large variety of keepsake urns and keepsake necklaces and jewelry. Many people want to put a tiny bit of the ashes in a necklace to wear. We have necklaces that are made of stainless steel that are very affordable at $89. We also have a large variety of sterling silver and solid gold necklace urns which can run into the hundreds of dollars.

Keepsake urns are a great option if multiple people in your family want ashes. You can have keepsake urns that match the larger main urn or each keepsake can be different than the other.

If you purchase an urn at Going Home Cremation you can take $100 off any of our urns in our catalog if you were also selecting to do your cremation services for your loved one with our company.

Please call Going Home Cremation for any questions you may have on any type of cremation urns.

Can You Have a Cremation Without a Service in Florida?

10.02.2021

At Going Home Cremations there are common questions we get from families when they are arranging a cremation. One of the most common ones is if they have to “have a cremation without a service” or “a cremation without a funeral” or a “cremation without a ceremony”. We wanted to answer this common cremation question for families when unfortunately, the time comes and they need to finalize cremation arrangements for their loved one.

The answer: No, you do not have to have a service when you cremate your loved one.

In Florida, you can have a cremation without any type of service or ceremony. This type of cremation is called a direct cremation, and is different than they type of cremations you get at a funeral home.

Direct cremations are cremations where your loved one will be cremated in Florida and there will be no viewing or service associated with the cremation. This type of cremation, a direct cremation, is being coming more popular for families in Florida. The popularity is for a few reasons, but the main reason is that direct cremations are much lower in price compared to a cremation with a formalized funeral service. For example, a cremation with a service can easily be $4,000-$5,000 whereas a direct cremation will be closer to $1500-$2000. The cost difference is due to not having a service and also you do not need to embalm your loved one if there is no service or viewing.

Another benefit of direct cremations are they tend to occur faster than normal cremations with a service. You do not need to wait to have your loved one embalmed or wait for the service. Furthermore, your loved one can go direct to being cremated, which will help you receive your loved ones ashes in a much more timely manner.

Especially during the time of COVID, it can be even more difficult than normal to have a formalized viewing or service when arranging a cremation. The issue with social distancing is another reason why direct cremation is becoming so popular in Florida. Furthermore, as a family you can have a direct cremation of your loved one and then hold a service yourself once COVID is no longer a major concern or even hold a virtual service. Both of these options, where as a family, you do the service without funeral professionals, you can save considerable money and ensure your close friends and families safety.

If you arrange a cremation at a funeral home, they tend to be very pushy about services. So please be aware, in Florida, you do not need to have a service or a funeral for a loved one if you do not want to. If a funeral home is pushing you to have a service, we would suggest to possibly seek another facility to help you have a direct cremation of your loved one.

At Going Home Cremations, we offer direct cremations in South West Florida.

What To Do Once You Have Picked Cremation for Your Loved One

09.11.2021

When your loved one passes away there are many things you need to do to deal with their death. Generally, one of the first things you need to do is decide between a funeral or cremation for them. In Florida, cremation has become the number one choice for families when their loved one has passed away in Florida.

Once you have decided to cremate your loved one in Florida, that is really just when the decision making begins. There are many things you must do once you have chosen to cremate them and below, we will walk you through some of the common next steps.

Pick a cremation facility: Normally you know if you want to cremate your loved one before you even know where your loved one will have their cremation. But once you have made this decision you need to decide on what cremation facility you will use. We suggest to make sure to pick a cremation facility that has good google reviews and has a website that looks very up to date. Generally, those facilities are run better and more transparent. We also suggest you shop around if the prices start to sound too high, generally over $2000 for a cremation tends to be at the higher end of things. Finally, make sure to clarify where they do the cremation, some lower cost cremation facilities will do cremations in storage facilities.
Decide what to do with the ashes: Now that your loved one has been cremated and you have the ashes, you need to figure out what to do with their ashes.
1. Urns: Most people decided to put their loved one’s ashes in an urn or possibly multiple urns so many family members have a part of their loved one.
2. Cremation Jewelry: You can also choose to commemorate your loved one with cremation jewelry or different types of glassworks that include your loved one’s ashes.
3. Spreading Ashes: You can also decide to spread your loved one’s ashes at sea or even in certain areas of Florida. Just make sure to consult with your cremation facility about local regulations around spreading ashes. At Going Home Cremation, we can even help guide you on renting your own boat to scatter ashes for your loved one if you would like.
Memorialize your loved one: There are many ways families are memorializing their loved one after their cremation, including a normal type of memorial service to even a Zoom type memorial service. Most cremation facilities do not help with memorials, however most of the time you can save a lot of money arranging one yourself.
1. Write an obituary: Writing an obituary is something family members have been doing since there were newspapers. In writing an obituary you can memorialize your family member in written word. At Going Home Cremation, we offer free premium obituaries. We also offer a custom social media post to coincide with the obituary.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cremation Services in Florida

06.09.2021

At Going Home Cremation we have spent many years helping families through this very difficult situation. After many years of speaking with families we find these to be our most common questions:

WHAT IS THE PRICE OF CREMATION?
- Once you have made your decision that cremation is what you want to do you should be able to have a cremation for your love one between $1200-$1600. At Going Home Cremation we start at $795 for the cremation which includes: Picking up your love one, the casket to be cremated in, the urn and a beautiful life tribute obituary. We also charge $395 to acquire all of the necessary paperwork to fulfill a death certificate, and acquire a permit for the medical examiners. Paperwork consumes 4 to 8 hours for any cremation service. A lot of families do not think that their loved one needs to pay for a medical examiner fee but all United States counties require that the medical examiner reviews the death certificate that the doctor has filed. They review the death certificate to make sure that they do not want to investigate the cause of death. For example, the medical examiner in Sarasota approves a cremation and the county that you were in has different fees for that. If the medical examiner thinks that there was a suspicious death, they will not approve the cremation and they will require us to return the body to them so they can do an autopsy and/or an investigation. There will be additional fees to acquire death certificates. Going Home Cremation charges $18 per death certificate. The family is also allowed to go to the health department to buy the death certificates direct. If you go in yourself, you can usually do everything for about $10 each Death certificate

HOW LONG WILL THE CREMATION PROCESS TAKE?
- Cremation services usually take approximately two weeks to complete. Between taking your love one into our care, acquiring all the necessary paperwork from the family, filing for the death certificates, having the doctor sign it, getting the death certificate to the medical examiner for approval, and then finally the cremation process itself, will take about two weeks before the ashes are ready for pick up.

3. DO I HAVE TO BUY AN URN?

- We provide a free basic black polystyrene urn. If you would like to purchase a different urn, Going Home Cremation will give you $100 credit toward the purchase of any full size cremation urn on our website. The average price of an urn is between $280-$500. We have many urns available at Going home cremation for $200. So, if you get $100 credit the urn is actually only costing you $100.

WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THE ASHESYou have many choices when it comes to what you can do with the ashes. Many families choose to scatter the ashes in the Gulf of Mexico. At Going Home Cremation we have an option to scatter in the Gulf of Mexico for $295. This cremation is an unattended service. Another option for a family is to charter a boat for 3 to 4 hours. You will go out 3 miles with the captain to scatter the ashes and then come back. Another option is to inurn the ashes in a cemetery. Or you can scatter the ashes in your favorite park or vacation spot. Make sure you check with local permit requirements before doing that.

At Going Home Cremation Services, we understand that families have a lot of questions. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions regarding the cremation process and what to do for your loved one. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU

Veteran Cremation Benefits in Florida

05.13.2021

If you or your loved one is US Veteran you are entitled to certain benefits upon death. One of the most surprising aspects is that cremation will not be covered by the US government unless your loved one passes away due to a service-related death.

Before you will be applying for the free veteran benefits, you will need to figure out where your loved one with be cremated. The most cost-effective cremation option is called direct cremation. A direct cremation is a cremation where there will be no viewing of your loved one’s body. However, you can still have service once your loved one is cremated. Once your loved one is cremated there are benefits, they will receive a free plot at the Florida National Cemetery.

Florida National Cemeteries will provide all of the items for you at the graveside when you attend the Inurnment Service. The memorial Certificate will be mailed at a later date.
The direct cremation facility can provide the necessary info and phone numbers to Families of Veteran Cremation Services. At Going Home Cremation, we can work with you to give all the necessary information.
You will need the Veterans DD214 (discharge papers). If you do not have this form, you can call your local Veterans administration to acquire that. If your Veteran has attended a VA hospital or VA doctor recently the VA can identify your loved on through their medical records.

Additional Free Veterans Cremation Service Benefits:

Burial flags, provided for free, drape the casket or urn of a service member who served honorably in the military.
Veterans Cremation Service Benefits
Presidential Memorial Certificate — Provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Presidential Memorial Certificate is a gold-embossed paper certificate available to next of kin and loved ones of deceased service members It is signed by the current president of the United States to honor the memory of honorably discharged veterans.
Government-furnished gravesite — The Department of Veterans Affairs’ burial services for eligible veterans include a gravesiteat any Department of Veterans Affairs national cemetery, based on space.
Government-furnished headstones and markers — The Department of Veterans Affairs will furnish a free government headstone or markerfor the grave of any deceased eligible veteran in any cemetery around the world. Headstones and markers are also available for eligible spouses and dependents of veterans in a national, military installation or state veteran cemetery.

It is important to pick a direct cremation facility that has familiarity in guiding families in how to appropriately request the veteran cremation benefits.

Step by Step Guide to A Basic Cremation in Florida

04.29.2021

If your family has recently passed away or is close to passing away, you might start looking into cremation arrangements for them. You will quickly see there are many options to choose from but the lowest cost and most environmentally friendly option for cremation is a basic cremation.

What is a basic cremation?

A basic cremation is a simple cremation where there is no viewing of the body. When you look into cremations in Florida, there are two cremation options: cremation with a viewing and cremation with no viewing. If you choose to not have a viewing you can save thousands of dollars on the costs and the whole cremation process with also occur much faster.

What are the costs of a basic cremation?

A basic cremation cost can vary in Florida, however most around between $700-$2000. Some of variables to this cost is where the cremation will take place, and the additional fees that can be added onto the cremation like the Medical Examiner fees, death certificates and paperwork fees.

How do I find a basic cremation facility near me?

The best way to find a basic cremation facility near you is by googling basic cremation near me. This will show you the basic cremation facilities near you and if you start looking a little deeper, you will also be able to see the prices of the cremation and the reviews of the cremation facilities.

Make sure to do your due diligence when it comes to looking at reviews for the basic cremation. Try and pick a facility with 5-star reviews that has been in business for a long time. If you loved one is in a Hospice or Hospital, the facility should not recommend a basic cremation facility. Instead, if you ask, they will provide a list of local cremation facilities for you to look into.

A huge red flag is if the hospice, nursing home or hospital recommended one facility in particular. An even larger red flag is if the facility tries to get their chose of cremation facility to pick up your loved one. We recently have been hearing issues of nursing homes trying to force families to use the cremation facility they picked. Please understand, you have every right to choose the facility you want and no one should pressure you at all to pick a facility. Even if your loved one dies at home and is picked up by a local funeral home that works with the police, you do not have to go with that funeral home or cremation facility. In general, these facilities are more expensive than the norm and you should shop around.

What are the steps in a basic cremation?

When you decide on a basic cremation facility, you will give the facility where your loved one passed away or is close to passing the information of the basic cremation facility. When they do pass, the facility your loved one is at will call the cremation provider. The cremation facility will they go to pick up your loved one to be brought to the crematory. You will then be sent many forms including a cremation authorization form. This form must be filled out before the cremation can occur. In general, it can take 10 to 14 business day for a cremation to be fully completed.

At Going Home Cremations, we offer basic cremations in all of Southwest Florida.

Cremation Arrangements While Your Loved One Is In Hospice

03.30.2021

If your family member is under the care of Florida Hospice, they have probably told you that you need to look into Funeral Arrangements or Cremation Services in Florida. There are multiple steps once this process begins and we wanted to help families understand the processes.

What is Hospice?

Hospice is end-of-life care that focuses on the quality of life for people and their caregivers who are experiencing an advanced, life-limiting illness. Hospice care provides compassionate care for people in the last phases of incurable disease so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible. Hospice can care for your loved one in your home if necessary or in a Hospice Care Facility. Sometimes hospice also has facilities within hospitals to help families. Once your loved one is near the end of their life, Hospice will need for the family to make the decision of final arrangement. Once a family has chosen their final cremation arrangements, the family needs to give the cremation facility’s name and phone number to Hospice.

When deciding on cremation vs burial for your loved one understand some key facts and suggestions:

Florida burial services are usually between 10,000-15,0000 for complete burial. The price of Florida cremation can run between 1500 -5000 depending on if you are having a viewing.
It is bestto look ahead into what Florida Crematories or Funeral Homes are in your immediate area.
Look for affordable direct cremations in your local area and make contact with a crematory near you. Speak to someoneto make some arrangements for your loved one so that Hospice can call them anytime day or night.
Try to find someone within 50miles or less of your area for the best service when it comes to taking your loved one from the Hospice Home.
You can have all of your paperwork filled out ahead of time.
The forms that are needed are a Vital Statistics form, a cremation authorization form which is used for permission to cremate, and then make sure you keep these forms in a safe convenient place and send them to the facility you have chosen. Here are the forms to fill out: https://goinghomecremations.com/forms/
You can pay at the time of need for cremation services but it is better to have your forms filled out ahead of time.

After you have decided on what facility you are using, notify Hospice of your choice and make sure they have the 24-hour number for the direct cremation or burial company you are using. If Hospice is taking care of our loved one at your home make sure you call Hospice when death occurs if they are not present at the time. Hospice must initiate the call to any funeral home or crematory that you are using. Before the direct cremation facility picks up your loved one, they will pronounce the time of death and prepare your loved one for transport into the care of a Florida direct cremation facility of your choice.

It usually takes approximately 1-3 hours for someone to arrive depending on time of day and traffic. The transport company will take your loved one into their care and deliver them to the facility you have chosen. If your loved one is a Veteran, Going Home Cremation will drape an American flag over your loved while in transport. Please make sure you notify the Hospice nurse that your loved one is a Veteran.

IF DEATH OCCURS unexpectedly IN YOUR HOME:

If your loved one is at home and is NOT under the care of hospice, make sure you call 911,Ambulance services and Law enforcement will be called out to your home. Depending on the circumstances the police will decide if your loved one will go to the coroner or direct to a cremation or funeral facility.

At Going Home Cremations, we answer our phones 24/7 so that Hospice can reach us anytime day or night. We cover Pinellas County south to Lee County.

What Happens If Your Loved Ones Needs to Go to The Medical Examiner in Florida Before A Cremation?

03.21.2021

Sometimes when your loved one passes away in Florida, they will be sent to the Medical Examiner before they can be buried or cremated. This process with a medical examiner is incredibly important to the state of Florida if you are going to get a direct cremation in Florida. It can be nerve-wracking when your loved one is sent to the Medical Examiner, so we wanted to help guide families in Florida on some of the steps when they are sent to the medical examiner before your loved one is cremated in Florida.

medical examiner affordable cremation in florida

When does the Medical Examiner Get Involved Before A Cremation in Florida?

When a death occurs in Florida, under certain circumstances, the Florida Medical Examiner will be involved. This will occur when a health care practitioner, police officer

or by others authority figures report a death as suspicious. Normally, these are the type of deaths that are traumatic, criminal, or suspicious in nature, or a result of suicide or drug overdose. This is specific to Florida Statue 406. Deaths that are considered unattended also fall under the medical examiner’s jurisdiction. Unattended deaths are deaths that occur to people that have not seen a doctor recently or died suddenly while appearing to be healthy. It is very important that if a family is going to choose a direct cremation in Florida, that the medical examiner approves it before it commences. If your loved one’s death falls under the circumstances above, the death must be reported to the medical examiner.

No matter if your loved one needs to be sent to the medical examiner in Florida or not, the medical examiner is involved with every cremation approval in the state of Florida. When we take your loved one in our care for Florida direct cremation, we must get the attending physician that oversaw your loved one to sign the death certificate. Then the death certificate is sent to the medical examiner to overlook and approve. A cremation cannot occur until the medical examiner approves of what the doctor said about your loved one’s cause of death. Sometimes, the Florida medical examiner will request more information from the doctor on the cause or death, or even sometimes the medical examiner will require the body be sent to them for further review.

For example, in both Sarasota and Manatee county there are specific county ordinances and fees for the Medical Examiner:

In accordance with Florida Statute 406.11, rule 11G of the Florida Administrative Code, and other rules and regulations of the state of Florida, all deaths in which the body is to be cremated must be investigated by the medical examiner and an approval number must be supplied to the funeral home or crematory prior to cremation. In support of this service, local ordinances # R-08-217 (Manatee County) and # 2008-083 (Sarasota County), require the payment of a cremation fee for bodies from Sarasota and Manatee Counties. The fees vary depending on the county. You can learn more here: https://www.fldist12me.com/funeral-homes-cremation/?fbclid=IwAR0bKa2GppDXue5cyxCg-z0BcM_j0CuHpg6x__ZaHBPkgLM_v5KdGsiaBn4

It is important when choosing a Florida direct cremation facility that you make sure they are competent in handling Medical Examiner cases. The Medical Examiner will not refer you to a facility, so it is best to look online for facilities that have good reviews and that have been around for many years. If a Florida direct cremation facility is not competent in dealing the medical examiner faculties, especially when it comes to autopsies, it could cause issues.

What occurs during a Medical Examiner’s investigation?

Medical examiner investigation starts with evaluation of the background information, medical history and circumstances leading up to death. In certain circumstances it may also include response by medical examiner personnel to the death scene. Medical examiner investigation also entails examination of the body, which includes examination of the clothing and personal effects and the external surfaces of the body. Autopsy is commonly, but not always, performed. In criminal cases, medical examiner personnel work with law enforcement officers in the collection of evidence from a body.

How long after the conclusion of the Medical Examiner’s Investigation, can they body be sent for a cremation?

In Florida, once the medical examiner has concluded their investigation, the direct cremation facility can pick up your loved one normally within the same day. Then generally within 72 hours the cremation will occur. In general, the whole Florida direct cremation will be concluded within 7-10 business days, when you will receive your loved ones cremated ashes.

At Going Home Cremations we have affordable cremation facilities in St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Port Charlotte, Fort Meyers & SW Florida. We have good working relationships with all the medical examiner facilities within our coverage areas, and can help guide you through the direct cremation process if your loved one has been sent to a medical examiner facility.

Tag: cremation