While IFDA is a member based association in service of funeral directors, we also strive to ensure our members have the support and resources they need to service their local communities. We also understand that it can be easier to do some research and ask questions to a professional organization before selecting a provider for you and your loved ones.
We encourage you to contact as many places as you feel you need to in order to select the type of provider that will resonate with you and your needs. At times there can be a lack of clarity about what exactly a funeral director can do for you. Let’s take a look…
What a Funeral Director Can Do for You
As a consumer, you may wonder what all a funeral director can do for you…while each director is as unique as you, we are sure you will find certain standards that apply to all our members. Here is a brief summary of what you can expect.
Professional advice.
Professional service.
Professional accountability.
Your funeral director is worthy of your trust. Accountability is key.
Funeral directors provide professional advice regarding a subject that is unfamiliar to many. Families come to funeral directors with all kinds of questions:
- How much does a funeral cost?
- Will the funeral home work with my church to coordinate the service?
- Will the funeral director also help me make cemetery arrangements?
- How do I explain death to my children?
- What are the differences in caskets?
- How can I make sure I receive the government death benefits owed to me?
These are just a sampling of the many questions funeral directors hear every day. Indeed, the number of details surrounding death and funerals is immense. Funeral directors take great pride in being a complete resource you can call upon any time.
Funeral directors provide professional service at a time when we are most in need of capable, compassionate support.
Funeral directors in Iowa are uniquely qualified to attend to the many, many details that must be taken care of quickly when death occurs. The deceased must be transferred and prepared. A death certificate must be signed and paperwork filed to facilitate social security and insurance benefits. Details must be arranged with the clergy. Obituaries, flowers, visitation, casket selection, gravesite preparation, instructions to the pallbearers, organization of the procession – there are just some of the services your funeral director can provide for you to personalize the service. Iowa funeral directors also receive continuous training, which allows them to excel at all the services you require. For well over a hundred years, the Iowa Funeral Directors Association has helped Iowa funeral professionals stay current with an increasingly complex profession to better serve the families of Iowa.
You can always turn to your funeral director.
You should feel comfortable calling on your funeral director at any time to discuss pre-planning, to ask for guidance when death occurs in the family, or to inquire about special programs and help available afterwards, including grief counseling. When you call, check to see if your funeral director is a member of the Iowa Funeral Directors Association. Membership ensures your loved one will receive the very best care from one of the state’s professionals. Discover the real value in choosing a licensed professional.
For more insight into the funeral profession, watch The Undertaking on PBS.com.