With more people taking on an agnostic or atheistic view towards religion, cremation, a once-taboo subject, has progressively become more accepted as a viable method of resolving a person upon their death. In addition, between its lower costs, more flexible uses, and an increase in its environmental impacts, more people than ever have become interested in being cremated or learning about the cremation process.
Here, we will go over the various steps of cremation so the process is fully understood. That way, you can make an educated decision on if cremation is right for you or your loved ones.
Costs of Cremation
The biggest draw for many is the practical fact that cremation costs are generally much lower compared to burial services. While there are options for virtually no money, these go to the extreme by requiring the body immediately be cremated upon death, with no memorial service or urn offered.
Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere between $800 and $3,000. For those that want to pull out all the stops, the prices can potentially reach upwards of $8,000 or more, though this is rarely the case. The cremation services huntington beach ca offers are, as an example, considered very reasonably priced, generally starting at around $795.
Step-By-Step Process
Step #1. Identify The Deceased Person
When a person has passed and there are talks of cremation, the first step is to ensure that the individual is fully identified as exactly who they are thought to be. This usually consists of a family member confirming their identity. Once confirmed, they will usually be given metal ID tags which will remain with them throughout the cremation process as a way to maintain identification and verification from start to finish.
Step #2. Authorize Cremation Procedure
Once receiving proper identification, the deceased person is only allowed to be cremated once the identifier or person making the arrangements has authorized the procedure for them. This is a serious and legal matter. As such, there is a considerable amount of legal paperwork that must be signed before anything is allowed to happen.
Step #3. Prepare The Body
The body is then prepared for the cremation process. Here, it is cleaned, dressed, and transferred to the cremation chamber. Any items or pieces of jewelry are removed and given to the deceased’s loved ones. The only exception is prosthetics or medically-based devices. It is then placed on a combustible vessel before going through the cremation process.
Step #4. Finalize Remains
After being fully cremated, the deceased’s remains are gone over and inspected. Here, the inspectors are looking for any metal remnants that may have been on the person at the time. This can include things like screws, pins, or joints which may have been placed while alive.
Once found and removed, the remains are then put through a ground processor resulting in the final ashes for their family.
Step #5. Have Ashes Transferred
Once the cremation process has finished and the remains have been finalized, the deceased’s ashes are stored in an urn (or alternative container) and given to the family.