Final Arrangements

11 Final Arrangements Professionalism, Quality and Confidence Choosing a funeral home is only one of many decisions that must be made at the me of loss. When choosing a funeral home that is a member of the Manitoba Funeral Service Associa on you can be assured they will treat your family with the highest level of professionalism, provide the best quality and in the end give you the confidence that your loved one will be looked a er with the greatest of care. How do we know? Because when a funeral director applies to be a member of the associa on, current MFSA members evaluate that request and only accept those who have strong reputa on in the community and have shown a commitment to set professional standards. Recently there was one specific funeral home in Winnipeg that sha ered the confidence of the community for funeral service by mishandling prearranged funeral funds. Our Members were very disturbed that anyone would violate a sacred trust like this and note that this business was not a member of the MFSA. We would encourage the public to ensure that their choice of a funeral provider is a member of our Associa on and comply with our Code of Ethics. To help protect against situa ons as noted above the MFSA is collec vely involved in the current Legisla on Consulta ons that are ongoing to review the Acts and Regula ons that govern funeral and cemetery services in Manitoba. We have long advised these guidelines are outdated and need moderniza on to provide be er protec on. The MFSA is commi ed to working with the public's interest in mind to see this process is completed thoroughly to ensure the longstanding tradi on of Professionalism, Quality and Confidence in funeral service con nues. We serve because we care. Visit our website for a complete lis ng of MFSA Members. w w w . m f s a . m b . c a It is important to you, so it is important to us. By Jared Story The best plan is a pre-plan, but some- times life has other plans. Pre-planned funerals help to ease the burden for grieving family and friends, but loved ones still have to make ar- rangements when someone close them dies unexpectedly. M aking those end-of-life decisions during a time of sorrow can be difficult. Perry Curtis, manager of Chapel Lawn Funeral Home & Cemetery, says it's important that customers feel comfortable and confident when picking the funeral home that's right for them and their needs. "It's important to feel comfortable with the person you're speaking with. Did they take the time to answer your questions and did they make you feel like you're important?" says Curtis, a licensed funeral director and embalmer with 29 years of experience in the field. "Obviously what we're doing is a very personal job. It's very important to make people feel that we care about the fact that they had somebody in their family die. We want to help them through the process of taking care of arrangements as best we can." Shopping for funeral services isn't as easy as just deciding between cremation and burial. Consumers have many choices of how they can best memorialize their nearest and dearest. Mark Matikka, a licensed funeral director and embalmer at Wojcik's Funeral Chapel, says a funeral home should be able to "accommodate all of your needs." "From religious to non-religious to whatever you may be looking for, make sure they can provide all the service leaders, musicians, catering, things like that," Matikka says. "Also, make sure the funeral home can stay within your budget. That's one thing you'd want to clear up before you get in over your head. You want a funeral home that gives you options and a no-pressure service. Ultimately, you want advice, but you also want to make the final decisions, not have someone making them for you." To shop smart, it's important that funeral consumers know their rights. In this province, the Funeral Board of Manitoba is responsible for licensing all funeral homes, directors and embalmers, receiving complaints, holding hearings, and carrying out disciplinary action. "You can go down to the funeral home and ask for the rules and regulations of the Funeral Board," Matikka says. "They should give it to you, and they should be able to produce their prices as well. And it never hurts to ask the funeral director if you can see their license." Perhaps the simplest strategy in determining end-of-life services is to go slow. Libby Siebold, owner of Sobering Funeral Chapel & Crematorium in Beausejour, Man., says to best choose a fitting funeral home and service, consumers must take their time. "Give yourself a day, and talk to your friends and family," says Siebold, who is also a licensed funeral director and embalmer. "I may sound a little glib here, but the emergency is over. Get some rest, get some healthy food in you, and talk to your family about what your needs and wants are." Curtis also believes that taking a little time can lead to better decisions. "You don't have to rush," Curtis says. "It's certainly important to let the funeral home know that a death has occurred, so there are things we can take care of for the family as quickly as possible. But, as far as the actual service and that planning, people should understand that they do have a time frame that they can work with that will suit their ability to make good decisions." Feeling comfortable and confident about your choice It's very important to make people feel that we care about the fact that they had somebody in their family die. We want to help them through the process of taking care of arrangements as best we can." – Perry Curtis, manager of Chapel Lawn Funeral Home & Cemetery

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