How a Body is Prepared for Cremation Services?

Sep 13, 2021

How a Body is Prepared for Cremation Services?

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Williams Funeral Home under cremation

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What happens to the body after death? How long before the cremation takes place? What happens after the cremation? Your loved one has died, and they chose a cremation service in Hampshire, TN , and you need answers.

How is the body prepared for a cremation?

The body of the deceased is bathed, cleaned, and dressed before the whole process starts. Embalming is not required or necessary unless you requested a viewing beforehand.

Jewelry and any other accessories you would like to keep will be removed. If there are medical devices and prosthetics attached to the body, they will be removed as well.

Here are all the details of how to prepare for cremation:

Funeral Home or Crematory Picks Up the Body – After the death, the funeral home or crematory of your choice will usually pick up the body and bring it to the funeral home or crematory. Once there, it will be placed in a prep room or in refrigeration.
Service Planning – The bereaved will then meet with a funeral director or cremation provider to plan a service if desired, and determine the cremation details. During this time, the body is kept in a refrigeration unit between 36 and 39 degrees to slow decomposition. If the deceased or bereaved chose direct cremation, the body will stay refrigerated till the cremation. If they chose a public viewing, the body will be placed in a prep room for embalming.
Preparing the Body for Cremation – The cremation provider will prep the body by removing all jewelry, pacemakers, or medical devices in order to prevent melting or explosions during the cremation process. Jewelry is returned to the family and medical devices are often recycled or returned to the family. If the family or deceased chose direct cremation, there is no other preparation required. If the family chose a public viewing, the body will be embalmed, bathed, dried, dressed, and put in a casket.
Identity Verification – A family member or next-of-kin will complete and ID Verification form after preparation to signify that the body has been properly identified and is ready to be cremated or viewed at a service. Each facility and state have different procedures, but your funeral director or cremation provider will walk you through each step.
Cremation – After the body is identified and after any chosen service, the body is then placed in a cremation container. Cremation containers can be solid wood caskets designed for cremation or corrugated cardboard boxes also designed for cremations. The cremation container with the body inside is then put into the cremation chamber and heated between 1400 and 2000 degrees for about two hours. Some crematories allow family members to view the cremation itself. If you wish to view the cremation, speak with your provider.
After the Cremation – After the cremation , the remains are cooled for about an hour and then processed through a machine that grinds the remaining bones into powder. These powdered remains are returned to the family in an urn of their choice or in another kind of container.

Williams Funeral Home & Crematory is here to help if you want to learn more about the cremation process or Hampshire, TN cremation services in general. Stop by and pay us a visit or give us a call today for more information on what we can do for you in your time of loss or of preplanning.

FAQ Cremation Preparation

Does a body get drained before cremation?

Is a body drained before cremation? Draining a body of fluids does not happen before cremation. If a body is embalmed before cremation, the bodily fluids are exchanged (drained, and then replaced) with chemicals during the embalming process. These chemicals are also fluid.

Does a body get cremated with clothes on?

In most cases, people are cremated in either a sheet or the clothing they are wearing upon arrival to the crematory. However, most Direct Cremation providers give you and your family the option to fully dress your loved one prior to Direct Cremation

How long does it take to prepare a body for cremation?

The entire cremation timeframe — including any waiting period, authorization and the actual cremation — can take anywhere from four days to two weeks from start to finish. The cremation itself takes about three to four hours, with another one to two hours for processing.