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| Written by Administrator |
| Saturday, 26 July 2008 20:22 |
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Many funeral services include a period of visitation or a wake, with the deceased in an open or closed casket and often resting in one of the reposing rooms at the funeral home. It is during this time that relatives and friends gather with the immediate family, in the presence of the deceased, to extend sympathy and comfort. Most families choose to view the remains of their loved one, if it is all possible. The family should view the deceased for the first time in privacy. Generally, a family will be advised to come to the funeral home approximately a half-hour before public visitation. At this time, the funeral director will meet family members and escort them to the room in which the casket has been placed. After leading the family to the visitation room, the funeral director will respond to any last-minute changes the family might wish to make. After tending to the family's needs, funeral directors leave the family members alone in the visitation room so they can have a private moment with their loved one. The public is not permitted to enter until the family members have advised the funeral director that they are ready to commence visitation. During visitation, the funeral director will be available but would generally go unnoticed. The funeral director periodically brings in floral arrangements and ensures that these arrangements are appropriately placed with the least possible interruption. Otherwise, the funeral director's job at this stage is to respond to a family's needs. The maximum period of visitation at most funeral homes is twelve hours per day, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 10 p.m. Visitation may start any time within this period. Mourners may also be encouraged to visit during a specific block of time, such as from 2 to 4 p.m. or 7 to 9 p.m., when members of the family are there to meet relatives and friends. |
| Last Updated on Thursday, 31 July 2008 07:20 |