We live in an information age, and for good and bad, this means you can access information on any topic with ease. It is scarcely surprising therefore that the same applies to death care. Whilst it is positive to see that as a society, we are more at ease to discuss death care matters, this has given rise to the existence of a growing body of knowledge about funerals, some very useful, sadly some of it ill-informed, says Michael Powell, General Manager of Davis Funerals.

As funeral directors, we are seeing the problems that this is increasingly causing families. In New Zealand today the funeral industry is completely de-regulated, meaning anyone can “operate” as a funeral director.

So what are some of the considerations in selecting the right funeral home?

• Do they belong to the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand. Member firms are held to account by an independent body, adhere to an ethical code of practice and are regularly audited against a set of operating requirements. Throughout the country some 70% of funeral homes are respected members of the FDANZ.
• There are nationally recognised qualifications for both embalmers and funeral directors. One easy way to gauge the level of skill and experience of a funeral home is to enquire how many registered and qualified funeral directors they employ. You only get to farewell a loved one once, and we can all think of media coverage highlighting the irreparable emotional damage arising from substandard levels of care.
• Beware of providers or groups who want to charge you for dispensing advice. There are groups and organisations, charging fees for seminar and course attendance. Sadly, these organisations lack experience, are unable to adequately support families dealing with a loss and disseminate information that is in many cases factually incorrect and harmful. At Davis Funerals we welcome people to drop in, have a coffee and talk things through.
• Your chosen provider should guarantee end to end funeral care without need to contract out the care and attention of your loved one to other funeral homes or third parties. This ensures that from the very first call you can be assured that the deceased will be afforded the highest level of care, attention and dignity.