Planning your funeral and services isn’t something many people are excited to do, but it is something that more people should consider to make the grieving process easier for loved ones left behind. At desertlawnfuneralhomeandmemorialpark.com, our team can help you plan and pay for your services well before you’ll ever need them. During the planning process, we often receive many questions about cremation. To determine whether cremation is something you’re interested in, we’ve described the basic process and the steps that are completed before the procedure.
Cremation reduces a human’s physical remains to basic elements often referred to as ashes. A body is turned into basic elements through exposure to intense heat, flames, and evaporation. The process takes place in a cremation chamber, which is a specialized furnace used solely for cremation. Families or the deceased can request that their loved one is placed in a rigid cardboard box or casket for the cremation process. Before this process takes place, the cremation provider will complete a number of tasks to ensure the cremation is done correctly and with the utmost respect for the deceased.
Basic Cremation Steps
The most important basic step of the cremation process is to identify the deceased and make sure all authorization is in place before the final steps are taken. According to OHSA, the next of kin must identify the body in writing and a medical examiner must identify the body before creation can take place. Next, the body is prepared for cremation by being placed in the proper container. After being placed in the right container, the body is moved to the cremation chamber.
After the intense heat and flames is used to reduce the body to elements, the staff will work to remove any bits of metal that could have come from the body or casket. Metal can come from clothing, dental work, and orthopedic screws. All other remains will be ground and collected to create “ashes.” At this point, the ashes are collected and placed in an urn. If an urn is unavailable, the ashes will be placed in a temporary container.
Now that you have a general idea of what the cremation process entails, you can decide for yourself if it’s what you would like to include in your pre-planning instructions or for a loved one that has recently passed. If you have any questions about cremation, please contact desertlawnfuneralhomeandmemorialpark.com for more information.
