More Americans are choosing cremation over burial, but there are still people who have qualms about the process. In an effort to educate our readers, we would like to help you learn about the cremation process. Here are some things you need to know.

Once the body is in the hands of the staff at the Cremation Society of Philadelphia, great care is given to maintain the body’s identification. We have a strict protocol in place to ensure that your loved one’s body is identified through the entire part of the process.

Pennsylvania law requires that the body is stored for 24 hours before it is cremated. During this time, the body is placed in a cooling chamber.

After 24 hours, the body is prepared for cremation. All metal, prostheses, or implants are removed (including jewelry, pacemakers, glasses, etc.)

The body is prepared and may be placed in a cremation casket before the process begins. Cremation caskets are combustible and less expensive than a traditional casket. Most funeral homes allow you to rent a traditional casket if you choose to have an open-casket visitation and funeral before the body is cremated.

Once the body is identified once again, it is placed in the cremation chamber (or retort.) Some facilities allow the family to be there as this occurs, so they can feel as if they are part of the process.

The cremation chamber heats up to 2,000 degrees. Once the cremation process is completed and the cremated remains cool, a magnet removes any metallic bits that may have been behind.

While most people refer to what remains after cremation by using the word “ashes,” the cremated remains are composed of small pieces of bone. The “ashes” have a uniform texture because they are processed before they are returned to the family.

Unless other arrangements were made, the family might receive the cremated remains in a temporary container. These remains may be transferred to a cremation urn.

Most cremation urns hold the remains of an average-sized adult. Look at the volume of the receptacle as measured in cubic inches. Every pound of the deceased’s body requires one cubic inch of urn space. Extra-large urns can be purchased for larger adults or may be used as companion urns. Smaller urns can be purchased for pets and children.

Once the cremation services have been completed, the cremated remains can be shipped to the family or picked up at the facility. Before

It seems as if there are two camps of people: one group has no interest in what happens to their body after they die while others have definite opinions. Regardless of what group you fall into, there are several important reasons for creating final wishes arrangements.

Creating an end-of-life plan is one of the greatest gifts you can leave for your loved ones.

No matter your preferred method of disposition, choosing one and sharing your plan with your loved ones will make life easier for them after you pass. Someone will have to make your arrangements after you die. Instead of discussing “what they would have wanted,” they will know your plan for final wishes because it will be written in black and white.

If this bit of decision-making is already done for them, they will have more of an opportunity to comfort each other and share stories about what made you unique.

Making final wishes arrangements will relieve your loved ones of financial stress after you pass.

Your family will breathe a sigh of relief when they discover that you not only made your own end-of-life arrangements but that you also paid for the services. The grief of losing a loved one is difficult enough without having additional financial worries.

Philadelphia Cremation Society allows individuals to pre-pay for cremation services. There are three plans available: Direct Cremation, Veteran Cremation Plan, or Cremation Plan for Graveside Service. All are affordable, and when you pre-pay, you lock in today’s prices.

Share your plan for final wishes with several of your loved ones.

You know that creating an end-of-life plan will keep your family from arguments and relieve them of financial strain, but going through the trouble to make the plan won’t do anyone good if they are unable to find it.

Print out all the necessary documents and place them in an envelope with a large label. Pass them out to the members of your immediate family.

Better yet, create an end-of-life plan and organize all of your final wishes with Cake, and share it with your family. This will enable you to tweak your plan over time without making sure your next of kin have the most recent documents.

No matter how you share your final wishes arrangements, do not write the details in your will. Most families don’t even look for or read the will until after the funeral is over, and matters of disposition

One of the objectives of the Philadelphia Cremation Society is to act as a resource for people who have questions about the cremation process. Below are some of the most common questions people tend to have about the process. While we tried to provide clear answers to these questions, please know you can reach out to our staff for more information.

1) How is the body prepared for a cremation?
Much care and respect is given to the body as it is prepared for cremation. We make sure the body is properly identified and that the necessary paperwork is complete before we begin the process.

The process of preparing the body is relatively simple. Usually, the body is cleaned and dressed before the identification process. Any jewelry is removed from the body and set aside to return to the family. Any medical devices are removed from the body, such as pins, screws, implants, and fillings.

Once we confirm the deceased’s identity, the body is placed in a cremation container, and the process begins.

2) Does the body feel pain during cremation?
Please rest assured that the person you love is no longer in pain after they die. Even though you still grieve the loss of your companion, you can receive some solace knowing that your loved one is no longer hurting.

3) Can I still have a memorial service if I use cremation?
Yes, you can still have a memorial service for your loved one if he or she is cremated. There are several options to consider.

• If you do not plan to have an open-casket viewing, your loved one’s body can be directly cremated after death. When undergoing direct cremation, the body doesn’t have to be embalmed. The family can choose to have the cremains present at the funeral or not.
• Even if your loved one wanted to be cremated, you could still have an open-casket viewing. The body would first be embalmed, prepared for viewing, and placed in a casket. After the visitation or funeral, the body would be prepared for cremation.

4) Are cremated remains sterile?
During the cremation process, the body is heated to nearly 2,000 degrees. Even though no definitive studies state that the cremated remains are sterile, most people in the scientific community make that assumption.

5) What is a direct cremation?
Direct cremation refers to the act of the body being cremated soon after death. Families choose direct cremation

Are you dreading having the much-need conversation with your parents regarding their end-of-life wishes? You are not alone. This is a painful and difficult conversation for many people.

What you may not realize is that many older adults want to be asked about their final wishes. They may also like assistance with finding resources on how to create a will or trust. They may also need help finding online resources on how to pre-plan for their funerals.

Here are some tips on how to talk to parents about end-of-life wishes. We will give you ideas on how to broach these complicated conversation topics and provide you with a list of questions to ask your parents before they die.

1. Get help from your siblings.

Ask your siblings for help with this discussion about your parent’s final wishes. Even if they want to bury their heads in the sand on the subject of your parent’s mortality, remind them that you will all be responsible for planning for a funeral someday. It’s better to approach this process with your parent’s preferences than guessing what those wishes were after your parent’s death.

Talk with your siblings about the best approach for starting this conversation with your parents. Do you all agree that the best course of action is to set up a formal family meeting? Or do you know that your parents would respond better to a discussion that seemed more “off the cuff” and casual?

The personalities and knowledge of your parents and siblings may determine the best course of action for broaching the topic.

Some people are reluctant to disclose what they may feel is their private financial or health information, even with their children. If you find that your parent(s) are resistant to having this conversation about their final wishes, use these talking points to encourage them to share.

• “We want to be able to fulfill your final wishes. We can’t do it if we don’t know what they are.”
  “We don’t want to have to pay lawyers to sort through the details of your estate.”
  “We’re worried that making these decisions after you die will cause arguments among the family members.”
  “Making your own end-of-life plans is one of the best gifts you can give to us.”

2. Ask all of the hard questions and take notes.

Here is some of the information you need to gather to help your parents complete their end-of-life plans. Start by obtaining general information

Most of us are living different lives now than we did in the Fall of 2019. Even though COVID-19 has disrupted many of our activities, we would like you to know that Philadelphia Cremation Society is still serving families in Philadelphia and surrounding communities. This doesn’t mean that other aspects of your loved one’s funeral service won’t be affected by the pandemic.

Let’s discuss cremation during COVID-19. We’ll discuss what has changed due to the pandemic, and what has remained the same. We’ll also give you a quick overview of cremation laws that were in effect before the coronavirus was discussed daily.

Cremations During COVID-19

While there is a lot that is still unknown about the coronavirus, scientists and medical experts have released guidelines for those working in the funeral and cremation industry. The Center for Disease Control released “What do funeral home workers need to know about handling decedents who had COVID-19?” in July.

In this report, we learned that “decedents with COVID-19 can be buried or cremated.” We also learned that the safety guidelines we follow are appropriate for handling decedents with the coronavirus.

What does this mean for your family? Regardless of whether your loved one died while infected with the coronavirus or passed away from some other cause, we can safely transport the body to one of our facilities and complete the cremation.

If your loved one recently passed away, call one of our end-of-life experts at 610-632-1191.

Cremated Remains During COVID-19

You may be wondering if it is safe to handle the cremated remains of loved ones who died while infected with the coronavirus.

According to this report from the CDC, cremated remains are reduced to an ash-like substance by intense heat. This means that “cremated remains are considered to be noninfectious regardless of the cause of death.”

After our cremation experts return the ashes of your loved ones to you, you are free to keep, bury, inter, or scatter them as long as you follow state and local guidelines.

If your loved one was a veteran, let experts from Philadelphia Cremation Society assist you with the veteran’s benefits that your loved one may be entitled to receive. This service is offered

The most traumatic moment in most people’s lives occurs when a family member has passed. Nothing can prepare you for this moment, even if the death was expected.

If you recently lost a loved one, we would like to offer our sincerest sympathies. We know you probably feel lost right now. We understand how important it is for you to have access to a knowledgeable professional who knows what to do. Please consider calling the Philadelphia Cremation Society at 610-632-1191 for assistance.

Here are some suggestions of what to do upon a family member’s passing.

What to Do When a Family Member Passes

The grief experts at the Philadelphia Cremation Society will arrange to have a professional pick up your loved one. Our transportation service will transfer bodies from private residences, nursing homes, hospice facilities, hospitals, or coroners’ offices in the Philadelphia area. Our service area includes the following counties in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Chester, Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton, and Berks. We now also offer services to the residents of the following counties in New Jersey: Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem. Also, contact us if you reside in New Castle County in Delaware.

Philadelphia Cremation Society’s highly trained, compassionate staff members will ask a few simple questions that will enable us to make the cremation arrangements. Before those arrangements can take place, families need to determine whether the cremation will occur before the funeral services or after. If you choose to delay the cremation until after the service, the body may need to be embalmed. We can help you arrange this process, which may be necessary for an open-casket visitation.

Once you and the rest of your family have made these decisions, the Philadelphia Cremation Society will take care of the rest of the paperwork and details. You will be free to focus on notifying other family members and comforting those around you.

Cremations Needed ASAP?

Perhaps you had already made funeral arrangements and had the opportunity to say your final goodbye to your loved one. In this case, you may prefer that the cremation occur as soon as possible. This is generally referred to as a direct cremation. The Philadelphia Cremation Society can help you with this process.

We offer several easy-to-understand packages that offer the best pricing in the Philadelphia area. All packages include cremation arrangements, online memorials, assistance

Many people find comfort in doing things the same way as their parents and grandparents did. They make peanut clusters at Christmas because “that’s what grandma always did.” Each bride in the family wears the same strand of pearls at her wedding because it is an important family heirloom. Some families even plan the same types of funerals for their deceased loved ones, generation after generation.

You may feel uncomfortable about the idea of cremation if you come from a family that has always chosen burial as an end-of-life option, but it is not as scary as you think. The purpose of this blog is to educate you about the cremation process. We will tell you a bit about the history of cremation in the U.S. and explain the science involved in the process. We also intend to reassure you that whether or not your family has chosen cremation for their loved ones in the past, it is a loving and environmentally-friendly way to say goodbye to someone you love.

The History Behind Cremations

Even though cremation has been used for centuries in other areas of the world, the practice didn’t come to the United States until the 1850s. The first person to open a crematorium in the U.S. did so just five hours west of Philadelphia in Washington, Pennsylvania.

The man behind the practice was a medical doctor, Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne. He designed and built the crematorium because he thought the new-found method of embalming the deceased might harm the health of the living.

Since then, cremation has slowly gained in popularity over the decades. In 2016, CNN reported that over half of Americans were choosing cremation over burial.

The Science Behind Cremations

Some people feel better about cremation after learning about the process. Here are the basic steps of cremation.

After a person dies, the Philadelphia Cremation Society will transfer the body from a hospital, coroner’s office, nursing home, hospice facility, or private residence to their facility.

After the proper paperwork has been completed, the body will be prepared for cremation. It is worth noting that bodies that are to be cremated are typically not embalmed unless the family wishes to have the body present at an open-casket visitation or viewing.

Before