Dealing with the loss of a loved one and arranging funeral homes in Northern Cambria, PA, is among the toughest challenges anyone can experience, but it becomes even more overwhelming when they die far from home. The stress of everything at a distance presents its own set of challenges and adds to the complexity to deal with.
But remember that funeral shipping isn’t as complicated as it once was – thanks to a more mobile and transient society. Here, we will discuss everything you need to know if faced with such an unfortunate event.
Contact Two Funeral Homes
Transporting a body from another state or country means you’re going to contact two funeral homes, one at the location of death to collect and prepare the funeral remains while the other to collect them and arrange funeral services.
Shipping the Body
The bereaved family can choose either ground transportation or shipping by air to bring the deceased’s body back to the home state. The method chosen depends on how far the deceased is from the home state and what carrier methods are available at that destination. In any case, this transportation process is referred to as ‘domestic funeral shipping.’
A licensed funeral home is well-equipped to assist you throughout the transportation process. Your local funeral home will do the majority of work from contacting and coordinating the shipping funeral home to receiving the remains and escorting them to the funeral site.
Transportation Guidelines
You should know the basic rules of funeral shipping, which include:
- Most airlines require the deceased’s body to be secured in a casket or a well-sealed metal container or combination unit. This container must be enclosed in an outer shipping container to avoid contamination or accidental damage to the remains.
- You may have to embalm the body if it has to leave a state or country – especially if the disposition is not to occur within 24 hours. Embalming preserves the dead body and forestalls decomposition.
- Other factors like age, health, and cause of death of the deceased also affect whether or not embalming is necessary. However, the rules may vary from state to state.
- Shipping for a funeral is costly, especially air transportation. The fees include the “ship-out” costs charged by the shipping funeral home to dispatch the body from the place of death for shipment. Then, there’s the actual cost of transportation charged by the carrier, be it ground or air transportation. Additionally, the family has to pay for the shipping container, fees related to the local funeral home’s coordination of the shipping, and costs of picking up the body from the airport in an approved carrier.
- Only a registered or known shipper can arrange funeral transportation. The family can’t directly deal with the airline because of the regulations of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Arranging The Funeral
When your loved one’s remains reach the local funeral home, you can proceed with arranging the final disposition services as per the wishes of the deceased and their immediate family. The funeral director plays a key role in making sure all arrangements go as smoothly as planned at funeral homes in Northern Cambria, PA.
