How to Support Someone Who Has Lost a Loved One When someone you care about is grieving after the loss of a loved one, it can be difficult to know what to say or do. They may be struggling with a variety of painful and intense emotions including depression, anger, sadness and feelings of isolation. It’s important not to let your fears about doing or saying the wrong thing stop you from reaching out and being supportive. You don’t need [...]
Tips for Dealing With the Division of Possessions The passing of a loved one is one of the most significant challenges we face during our life. In addition to processing your grief, you need to deal with administrative tasks such as sorting through the estate and making funeral arrangements. Careful planning and having the knowledge and right professional support is important for dealing with the division of possessions. Administration of the Estate The executor of a deceased person’s will has [...]
How Does Body Donation Work? Body donation is different from organ donation, as the whole body is used rather than selected parts. Donating your body to an institution such as a university is a generous way of advancing research in medicine and science while helping to educate the next generation of health professionals. Various health laws in each state and territory of Australia govern the process and several steps must be followed before a body donation can occur. Find a [...]
What is the Role of a Funeral Director? When a family member or close friend passes away, making decisions and handling logistics regarding funeral arrangements can be difficult while you are grieving. An experienced funeral director is there to help organise the funeral providing support during your time of loss. They are there to guide you through all the options and necessary considerations, while taking away some of the burden of arranging a memorable and meaningful funeral ceremony for your [...]
What Do I Do When Someone Passes Away? When a loved one passes away, it can feel overwhelming and you may be unsure what to do first. The process differs depending on whether the death is expected (i.e. due to old age or a terminal health condition) or unexpected (e.g. due to a traffic accident). If the death occurs in a hospital or care facility, the staff there will help you through the process and understanding what you need to [...]
What Costs are Involved in a Funeral? Funerals can be beautiful, meaningful ways to celebrate someone’s life and create positive, lasting memories. However, they can also be a source of financial strain on the family. A study by the University of Sydney in 2017 found that the average funeral service costs $4,902, while comparison website finder.com.au found the average cost to be $7,449. It’s worth noting that the cost of a funeral can vary dramatically depending on exactly what it [...]
Multicultural Funerals in Australia No matter what your ethnicity or faith, death is one of life's unavoidable events. While we may not have much of a choice about how or when we die, we can choose how we depart the world with a funeral ceremony that reflects our faith and personal beliefs. From the reflective practices of Judaism to the Hindu belief in reincarnation, here’s how different communities around Australia farewell their loved ones. Hinduism According to the Hindu faith, [...]
Do I Need Funeral Insurance? Daytime TV is saturated with advertisements for funeral insurance. They warn of the significant financial impact that organising a funeral can have on your loved ones when you pass away. They also argue that insurance is the only protection for families. But is that true? While funeral insurance might be appropriate in some circumstances, we at Hetherington Funerals believe a Funeral Bond is the best way to financially prepare for the funeral. What is Funeral Insurance Exactly? Funeral insurance is a financial product and essentially isn’t very different from [...]
What are the Benefits of Pre-planning Your Funeral When someone dies in the family, it’s common for everyone to feel confused about what to do first when it comes to funeral arrangements. Planning at short notice can be difficult, especially when processing grief. Pre-planning your funeral mitigates most of the stress and extra costs associated with planning a funeral ceremony. Improved Planning By pre-planning your funeral, you can take care of many of the key details and arrangements in advance. [...]
There seems to be a cloud of secrecy surrounding the funeral industry, which makes people very curious about what really goes on. When we meet new people, we tend to get some very interesting questions, and so we thought we would answer the questions we are asked most frequently. We spoke with Eric Dekker, the owner and a funeral director at Hetherington Funerals, about his experience in the industry. Isn’t it a depressing job? No. There are times when dealing [...]
