If cremation is the right choice for you or your loved one, you have several options. You can still hold a traditional funeral and viewing before cremation. In this case, you will want to work with a funeral home. If there is a viewing, it may require embalming.

You can also have a direct cremation, without a service. In this case, the deceased’s body goes directly to a crematorium in Florida.

There’s a significant difference in the cost. While direct cremations in Florida have an average cost of $2,600, you can sometimes find a direct cremation near you for as low as $800. Either way, this is still significantly less than the cost of a traditional funeral and burial, which can cost more than $8,000 on average.

How to Find Local Direct Cremation in Florida

You can work with a funeral home near you or a local crematorium to make arrangements. You may even be able to handle it all with a phone call or even online. If your loved one is in hospice care, the staff may be able to help you with arrangements as well.

If you are not sure how to get started, you can look online for “direct cremation near me” or “affordable cremation near me.” Once you decide to reach out to someone, there are a few things you need to know.

The General Price List

For example, funeral service providers are required by law to provide you with a General Price List (GPL) upon request. This breaks down individual services so you can decide which ones you want to use rather than having to buy “bundled” services. Some funeral homes make the GPL available on their website. Others will provide you with information over the phone.

The GPL must fully disclose all services before you make a selection. Once you choose options, you should receive a good faith estimate of all of the fees and costs.

Additional Fees

Depending on the options you choose, there may be additional fees, such as the urn you choose or the placement of obituaries. If you wish to bury the remains in a cemetery, there will be costs for the plot or mausoleum.

There may be additional fees from the medical examiner and getting certified copies of the death certificate. Death certificates are available through the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics. Funeral homes and crematoriums may also get them for you for a fee.

Embalming

Embalming helps preserve the body and is a standard procedure when there will be a viewing. However, while Florida law does not require embalming, embalming or refrigeration must occur within 24 hours of death. For direct cremations, you do not need embalming.

Prepaid Plans

If you wish, many facilities also offer prepaid direct cremation plans. This lets you pay now and avoid any higher costs in the future. This is also an option for families that want to relieve the stress of making decisions at the end of life. You can choose exactly what you want and how you wish to be honored.

Consider Whole Body Donation

Another option you may want to consider is whole body donation. When you donate a body to medical science, you are making an important contribution to help others. Donations are used for medical research, surgical training and physician education, or the development of drugs, therapies, and medical devices.

In Florida, United Tissue Network (UTN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works with accredited agencies to facilitate whole body donations. You can talk to our compassionate donor specialists to discuss how it works.

More than 12,000 families have chosen whole body donation, taking comfort in knowing that the passing of a loved one is making a difference for future generations of doctors and patients. UTN allows you to pre-register yourself or a loved one online. This can be done ahead of time, when a patient is nearing the end of life, or after someone passes.

UTN accepts a broad range of whole body donations. Age is not a limiting factor, and those with diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, or dementia are routinely accepted. The only disqualification is generally from communicable diseases, such as HIV or hepatitis.

When you make a whole body donation, UTN arranges to transport the body. After the research has concluded, UTN transports the deceased’s body for direct cremation and returns the remains to you if requested. All of this is done at no cost to you. Direct cremation in Florida through UTN’s whole body donation program is free.

If you would like to know more about whole body donations in Florida, contact United Tissue Network today at 877-738-6111.