Whether you are doing end-of-life planning for yourself or on behalf of a loved one, you have some choices to make. In Florida, most people today choose cremation over burial. There are several reasons, not the least of which is the high cost of a traditional burial with a memorial service.
The High Cost of Traditional Burials
The average cost of a traditional funeral service and burial in Florida is now more than $8,000. Why are traditional funerals and burials expensive? They usually include:
- Embalming and dressing the body
- Rental of the funeral home for viewing, visitation, and/or service
- Transportation of the body to the funeral site
- Casket
- Cemetery plot or crypt
- Burial of remains
- Funeral home staff time
- Any other additional services
Even a direct burial without a service will average about $5,600.
Benefits of Direct Cremation in Florida
In Florida, cremation is significantly less expensive. Even with a funeral service, cremation expenses in Florida average $6,100. A Florida direct cremation—without a memorial gathering or additional services—averages $2,600.
Direct cremation also offers options that can lower costs. For example, you may choose to have the body cremated in a simple container and receive the remains in a temporary container.
With cremation, you can hold a memorial service at a funeral home, with or without a viewing or funeral service. If you do have a viewing, you will likely need to pay for embalming. You can also choose to bury cremated remains in a cemetery plot or mausoleum.
Why Choose Florida Direct Cremation
Many families choose cremation to reduce costs, but that is not the only reason. Cremation is simpler and easier. There’s no casket to select or gathering to plan.
Others choose cremation because they want to scatter the ashes over a loved one’s favorite place or fulfill their wishes. Some families want an eco-friendly alternative to a traditional burial, avoiding chemicals from embalming or caskets that can take more than 50 years to degrade. Cremation options include biodegradable urns.
In some cases, your loved ones may not want you to spend the money on a lavish memorial ceremony, desiring you to save the expense with a direct cremation or spend it to honor them in a different way. For these and other reasons, about 60% of people in Florida choose cremation.
How to Get Direct Cremations in Florida
There are several ways to arrange for direct cremations in Florida. You can work through a funeral home or directly with a crematorium. In some cases, you may be able to handle all of the arrangements over the phone or online, including pick up and transport of the deceased and return of the remains.
In some cases, you may be able to find low-cost cremations for as low as $800-$1,000 in Florida. This can be a blessing for low-income families. For those where costs are an extreme hardship, there may also be options available for no-cost services through county health offices.
Another option for families is whole body donation.
What Is Whole Body Donation?
With whole body donation, you are providing a gift of your loved one’s remains for the advancement of medical science. Whole body donation organizations like United Tissue Network (UTN) work with a large group of medical researchers, doctors, and scientists for a variety of programs such as:
- Physician education
- Surgical training
- Device research and development
- Drug research and development
- Treatment therapy research
- First responder trainer
United Tissue Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). When you make a whole body donation, UTN pays for the final expenses and cremation costs, including returning the remains after research and cremation have been completed.
UTN also works with local organ procurement organizations to ensure any organs you have made available for transplants will take priority before transporting the donor to a research facility. This lets you honor the wishes of your loved one.
Whole body donation is a selfless act, and similar donations have led to significant medical breakthroughs in treating chronic disease. You can register for whole body donation online, and UTN will make arrangements directly with the funeral home or hospice center.
If you would like to know more about funeral alternatives such as whole body donations in Florida, contact United Tissue Network today at 877-738-6111.