1. Planning A Funeral (presented by name of funeral home)
(Insert company logo)

2. Purpose Of A Funeral Reflection of a life lived Honouring life
Sharing memories
Tailored to the individual
Celebrating life
A funeral is for the living

3. What Does A Funeral Director Do?
There are various roles within a funeral home, including Funeral Arranger; Conductor; Funeral Attendant; Funeral Director & Embalmer
A Funeral Director may perform the following tasks:
provide information & give advice on funeral arrangements
arrange for the removal of bodies from private homes, hospitals & sometimes from accident scenes
discuss style of funeral coffin/casket, cars, flowers & costs
preserve, prepare & keep bodies for viewing before burial/cremation
conduct the funeral
make arrangements for the burial/cremation ceremony
handle the required paperwork such as death certificates
organise all notices of the death & funeral arrangements in the media
make arrangements for interment/cremation, arrange the construction of a monument or the disposal of cremated remains
arrange floral tributes & distribute & collect attendance & tribute cards
assist with carrying & lowering coffins
provide information to bereaved people & give advice on funeral arrangements
arrange for the removal of bodies from private homes, hospitals and sometimes from accident scenes
interview relatives to discuss style of funeral coffin/casket, cars, flowers and costs
preserve, prepare and keep bodies for viewing before burial or cremation
liaise with clergy or celebrants
conduct the funeral
make arrangements for the burial or cremation ceremony
organise the after-service reception, including the catering
confirm the issue and verification of a Medical Certificate or obtain a Coroner’s Certificate
register the death, and obtain a Death Certificate
transport the casket from the service to the burial or cremation
assist and support the relatives and friends through the arrangements and ceremonies
organise all notices of the death and funeral arrangements in the media
administer day-to-day branch operations in finances, marketing and human resources
coordinate and supervise funeral workers including embalmers, drivers, receptionists or clerical assistants
make arrangements for interment/cremation or repatriation, if required, after checking that all proper documentation has been completed
arrange the construction of a monument or the disposal of cremated remains
collect the body from the hospital, mortuary or place of death and drive passenger vehicles, mortuary vans and hearses
assist in preparing the body and placing it in the coffin
escort mourners to funeral chapels
set up burial equipment such as mats and lowering straps
arrange floral tributes and distribute and collect attendance and tribute cards
assist with carrying and lowering coffins

4. Find A Funeral Director
For more information or to find an Accredited Member of the AFDA visit or
call or (03)

5. Funeral Arrangements – What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
Contact the person's doctor
In Australia the great majority of deaths occur in hospital or other care facilities, in which case those authorities take care of the medical formalities
In certain instances it may not be possible for the doctor to issue a Death Certificate & there is necessity for police & coronial involvement
Take your time
Contact the person's doctor. A doctor must certify that death has occurred. Normally funeral arrangements cannot be completed until the doctor has signed and issued a Death Certificate. The Funeral Director can then take the deceased into their care

6. Death Registration Required information: Date of Birth Place of Birth
Marriage Details
Children’s Details
Parent’s Details

7. Who Is Responsible For Arranging A Funeral?
In most instances, the Next of Kin is responsible for arranging the funeral of the deceased, for example: spouse, child, parent, legal partner or sibling
In the instance of dispute, where it is known a Will exists, the arbiter of arrangements is deemed to be the nominated Executor. The Executor may in his/her discretion appoint a person to make necessary arrangements with a Funeral Director. Such occasions however, are infrequent & most arrangements are made by the Next of Kin.

8. Funeral Arrangements - Choices
A Funeral Director can provide options to a family but ultimately it is the family’s right to choose whatever they wish, providing necessary legal requirements are met:
Burial/Cremation
Service
Celebrant/Minister
Private/Public
Coffin
Newspaper Notices
Flowers
Music
Clothing
Memorials
Documentation

9. Planning A Funeral
When faced with having to make funeral arrangements, most people have no prior experience in organising such an event, & little knowledge of what to do
Funeral Directors can alleviate this burden for you by providing a range of services, allowing you to choose an appropriate funeral that will be conducted professionally & with dignity
The role of the Funeral Director is to assist in every way possible to ensure the wishes of the family & the deceased are fulfilled

10. How Much Does A Funeral Cost?
The costs associated with a funeral vary due to the number of choices available, which allows a true reflection of personal, cultural & religious needs
There are certain necessary inclusions & certifications required, some of which have fixed costs, some of which are negotiable

11. How Much Does A Funeral Cost?
Generally there are five cost components of a funeral:
‘Professional Service’ fees from the Funeral Director
‘Coffin or Casket’ costs
‘Cemetery and Crematoria’ charges
Options to ‘celebrate a life’ may include: visual presentations, service booklets, thank you cards & memorial books
Other third party disbursements payable
The ‘professional service’ fees from the Funeral Director which include each of the tasks and services involved in arranging, planning and conducting a funeral
The ‘coffin or casket’ costs which can vary based on the construction and type, quality, finish and style that has been chosen
‘Cemetery and crematoria’ charges which are set by individual cemeteries and crematoria and will not vary between funeral companies
Options to ‘celebrate a life’ may include: visual presentations, service booklets, thank you cards and memorial books
Other third part disbursements payable may include newspaper notices, floral tributes, celebrant or clergy fees, music and catering

12. What Is Embalming?
The process of replacing bodily fluids with chemical fluids for the purposes of:
preservation of the body
infection control, &
enhancing the presentation of the deceased

13. Pre-Planning Your Funeral
Pre-planning can provide peace of mind & remove the need for a loved one to arrange a funeral
Pre-paying or pre-arranging a funeral can be completed through an appointment with a Funeral Director
For your own peace of mind, select a Funeral Director who is an Accredited Member of the Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA), which requires its Members to honour a strict Code of Ethics & Practice
The AFDA website has an online pre-planning information form, which can be printed & completed for your reference, or ed to the Funeral Director of your choice

14. Advantages Of Pre-Planning
Anyone can take out a Pre-Paid Funeral Plan regardless of their age or state of health, & in doing so can enjoy the following benefits:
you can protect your family from the distress of making difficult decisions at an emotional time
your family will be relieved from any financial burden
it makes good financial sense - by making all of your choices now, you can fix the price of your funeral at today's costs (subject to any specific terms of the contact)
you can ensure that your exact wishes are made known & are carried out
you may be able to maximise your pension entitlement. Any money paid into the plan is not subject to the income or assets test or deemed earnings rule (according to current legislation).
Where the family and Funeral Director establish the funeral requisites and services which they may utilise in the future
Information that may be required include: the contact person after your death, important personal information including marriage(s), children and parental details, which will be recorded on a death certificate
Decisions can also be made regarding the location of the funeral service, burial or cremation options, nominated clergy or celebrant to conduct the service, and personal wishes including readings, pallbearers, flowers, donation requests and music
Payment of the funeral is made when the service is conducted

15. What Is A Pre-Paid Funeral?
The family & Funeral Director establish the funeral services that they wish to contract & pay for now, for provision at a future date
When planning a funeral there are a number of decisions that need to be made. The Funeral Director will assist you with these & ensure that your wishes are fulfilled
The cost of a Pre-Paid Funeral is fixed, regardless of future price increases
Funeral firms must invest the funds in strict accordance with the Funerals Act (1996) & the funds cannot be accessed until the funeral is provided
The funds are invested independently of the Funeral Director
When planning a funeral decisions need to be made on the type of service and its location along with the content, music, readings, poetry and order of service, whether there will be a burial or a cremation, the choice of a coffin or a casket, the selection of funeral notices, deciding on floral tributes and looking at catering options

16. What Does A Pre-Paid Funeral Plan Include?
A Pre-Paid Funeral Plan is designed to reflect your wishes & therefore can include whatever you wish, however, some options to consider include:
the type & style of funeral service
preparation of the body & viewing arrangements
burial or cremation
the specific cemetery or crematorium
type of coffin or casket
Minister or Celebrant
memorial book & memorial cards
death notices, flowers, mourning vehicles etc, &
special features you would like to include such as a poem or piece of music

17. Pre-Paid Funerals
Payment of a Pre-Paid Funeral may be made in one lump sum or through a payment plan
When organising a Pre-Paid Funeral it is important that family is advised that arrangements for a funeral have been made in advance
Copies of the Pre-Paid Funeral contract should be provided to members of the family, or filed with the Will & other important documents
REMEMBER
When a Pre-Paid Funeral is finalised and the contract signed, a copy of the contract is held both by the arranger of the Pre-Paid Funeral, and by the Funeral Director
It is important that the contract is filed with other important documents
It is also important to communicate to family and friends that these arrangements have been made and paid for, as well as providing detailed instructions on where the contract can be located.
Unfortunately there is no central database that records Pre-Paid Funeral contracts, so if you have been informed or are aware of a family member/friend having taken out a Pre-Paid Funeral, we suggest to firstly look through their important documents for evidence of the contract. Secondly, speak to the person's Solicitor to see if they had the contract filed away for their client, or speak to Funeral Directors in this person's local area

18. Funeral Bonds
A Funeral Bond is a specialised investment which enables an individual to accumulate funds to meet future funeral expenses
An investment in a Funeral Bond is similar to a life insurance policy, whereby the benefit becomes payable on death
The benefits must be used to meet an individual’s funeral expenses
A Funeral Bond is an investment towards the cost of a funeral & by itself does not guarantee against rising funeral prices

19. Insurance
Funeral insurance products are targeted across a broad age range from 17 years upwards
Funeral insurance products are designed to cover funeral costs
In comparison with broader life insurance policies, the absence of underwriting combined with relatively low average policy size means that the cost of cover is relatively high
It covers death from any cause after the first 12 months, it only covers death by accident before then

20. Insurance
Funeral insurance provides value for money for policy holders who pass away within a relatively short period of time after taking out the policy
Despite an initially low cost of entry, the longer you hold a funeral insurance policy, the more you will have paid to the peace of mind you are looking for – a 60 year old who lives to 90 will have paid over $85,000 in funeral insurance premiums
The longer you hold a funeral insurance policy, the higher your premiums will be
If you have trouble with payments or can’t keep up with rising premiums, the entire benefit of a funeral insurance policy is lost & all past premiums are forfeited
If you think you are going to live beyond a short period of time then a pre-paid funeral is a cheaper option

21. Cremation vs. Burial
People have a choice of either burial or cremation, ultimately, this decision is a matter of personal choice
The number of people in Australia choosing to be cremated is steadily increasing
Cremation funerals are much higher in city areas where crematory facilities are available
In certain cultures cremation is not favoured (or may be prohibited within the relevant faith belief). In other cultures the opposite may occur with cremation being the custom, for example, in the Hindu tradition
Future trends may see higher instances of cremation due to increasing limits on cemetery space within or convenient to population centres

22. (Enter Funeral Home Name)
In operation since (year)
Family owned, ?th generation
Mission
Values
Goals

23. Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA)
Formed in 1935
Only national funeral service association with Member firms in every State and Territory
AFDA Member firms are chosen by more than 60% of families to provide funeral arrangements for their loved ones
AFDA Members & the AFDA Trademark represents security, care & professional service

24. AFDA Members
AFDA Members are bound by a strict Code of Ethics & Practice designed to meet both community needs & expectation in all aspects of service delivery. The code is a reassurance to the community of sincere care & professional service
Prospective Full Member firms must comply with required standards for premises, equipment & vehicles (PEV) before AFDA membership is granted
Re-accreditation is required every 3 years

25. Continuing Professional Development
AFDA Full Member firms are required to undertake a minimum number of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours each year
CPD is a commitment each AFDA Member makes to improve & promote professional funeral standards

26. For More Information Contact (funeral home name) (Company details)
Accredited Member of AFDA since (year)
(Insert Company Logo)