Arranging A Funeral
If Death Occurs From Natural Causes
What Do I Do When Death Occurs?
If Death Occurs at a Hospital or a Nursing Home
We suggest the family contact your doctor. If you have been treated by a doctor in the previous three months, for a pre-existing medical condition, this doctor will normally be able to issue a certificate as to the cause of death. This is a legal requirement. Please feel free to phone Stephen’s Funerals on our 24 hour number, 6245 0544. We will take care of all the decisions that need to be addressed, and we will be able to guide them through the process of making all the necessary arrangements.
Accidental or Sudden Death
If a person is not under the care of a physician and dies suddenly or as a result of an accident, it is a legal requirement for the police to be contacted, who in turn contact the coroner. The coroner is a magistrate appointed to oversee the police investigation into all sudden or accidental deaths. Under these circumstances, an autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of death. This does not mean that the funeral arrangement process cannot begin. Phillip Stephens Funerals can assist you with decisions that will need to be made from this point on.
Making the Funeral Arrangements
At Phillip Stephens Funerals, we are at your service 24 hours a day. When death occurs we suggest the family contact us as soon as they are able so that we can begin to take care of all the necessary details involved. We know that this will relieve and support them, allowing them the time and freedom to mourn their loss.
We will:
- Obtain the necessary certificates ensuring the funeral will proceed with minimum delay.
- Attend to even the smallest of details to ensure that your wishes are carried out, i.e. selection of flowers, wording of newspaper notice (if required), music, etc.
- Contact clergy or celebrant regarding the time, venue and type of service.
If your wishes are known beforehand, arrangements are carried out accordingly. Phillip Stephens Funerals owns and operates its own crematorium. If your desire is for cremation, you can be confident in the knowledge that our service is both comprehensive and all inclusive. For families whose wish is for burial, we can provide guidance with a range of cemetery options.
Our chapel, which seats over 200 people, provides a warm ambience and tranquil atmosphere, where music, montage and video facilities are readily available, along with the provision for off-street parking.
After service refreshments including tea, coffee, fruit juice, along with hot savories, sandwiches and a selection of homemade cakes, are amongst the many choices we provide.
A Special Touch
Soft and special touches are important and help to create an atmosphere of peace and comfort, depending on your situation. Maybe it is a family pet, or a soft toy, or some piece of memorabilia that is a treasured reminder of your loved one.
There is a very special place in the funeral industry for women, for they can give a warm embrace and add a quality of warmth and compassion to the funeral service, when a sensitive, feminine touch is needed. This may be especially felt when dealing with the death of a baby or child.
Should you or your family wish to talk to our female staff, Michelle and Julie are always available, and can provide a soft, gentle approach, should you feel more comfortable in dealing with a female. We also take pride in providing total female mortuary care, should this be especially important to you.
Whether you are pre-planning a funeral, or require immediate service provision, please know that you can have the choice of full female assistance.
Other Things to Consider
Viewing
We place emphasis on giving families the opportunity to farewell their loved one, and we encourage a suitable time, at no extra cost, and not necessarily within office hours for the family to be present at the viewing. This is a personal decision, but can provide great comfort and help closure in knowing their loved one, in the presence of friends, is an assurance that their support will continue to be there.
The Coffin – A Personal Choice
Choosing a coffin can be a very daunting process. We will make every endeavour to help you in any way possible, and we share ways of helping your choice to one that embraces meaning and individuality for your loved one. You can visit our selection room at any time.
Cemetery Choices
If your wishes are for burial, there are a number of options available that we can discuss with you, e.g. personal, faith, or general cemeteries of your choice. State-wide or even interstate. We are able to provide our advice on the locations that are of interest to you.
Cremation Urns
After the cremation has taken place, and as part of our ongoing service, we are able to offer advice and assistance in taking care of the cremated remains of your loved one. There are a number of options, and laws do vary from state to state. Cremated remains being buried in a cemetery lot or memorial garden, inurned in a columbarium wall, kept at home, or scattered on land or into the sea. At the appropriate time and location chosen by you, we are able to assist you with your wishes.
Costs of a Funeral Service
The cost of any funeral depends upon the extent of the services provided by Phillip Stephens Funerals, and the choice of the merchandise selected by the family. The person who is responsible for the funeral account is the one who signs the authorisation for the funeral to be conducted.
Disbursements:
These represent payments made on behalf of the family for such items as flowers, burial, celebrant fees, medical fees, newspaper notices, cemetery or cremation fees, order of service booklets or similar items of memorabilia.
Cost of the Coffin or Casket
There is a large and varied selection from which to choose. Go to our Coffins and Caskets page
Funeral Director’s Service Fee
This is designed to cover all of the overhead costs as in any other business. They relate to items such as providing trained personnel, use of facilities, supplying motor vehicles, mortuary preparation, and all other administrative costs, in this very specialized and sensitive industry.
