Monthly Archives: November 2019

cremation services offered in Beltsville, MD

What are Death Doulas?

Since there is no way for us to know when death exactly happens, funeral homes that offer cremation services in Beltsville, MD may also provide death doulas as part of their service to help us plan and prepare for our own death. We spend a lot of time in our own lives, perhaps, avoiding thinking much or deeply about our own deaths. It’s as though if we don’t think about death, then it won’t happen.

But when the ravages of age catch up with someone we love or a terminal illness is diagnosed in a family member or close friend, it’s much more difficult to avoid the reality that death happens.

However, we still may not be at a point where we consider our own mortality, and that, sooner or later, we also will close the final chapter in our lives by taking our last breath. We may seek to delay the inevitability of death with medications, procedures, and surgeries that may buy us a little more time. While these may provide quality of life for a while, at some point, our bodies will wear out and nothing will be able to stop us from the next natural step in the cycle of life, which is death.

We may take care of the things we’ll need at the end of life and when we die, such as advanced directives, powers of attorney, and wills or revocable living trusts, and believe that we are have done all we need to do to prepare for our own deaths.

But there will come a time when facing the reality of our own deaths can no longer be avoided.

However, there’s a difference between dying and dying well. Dying well includes making sure that the people you love and will be leaving behind are taken care of, that you’ve left a meaningful legacy for your family, and you want to make sure that your last wishes – or those of a loved one – are fulfilled in a way that shows respect and honor.

Death doulas are people who are professionally trained to help people who are dying (and their families) die well. A death doula has extensive and firsthand knowledge of the dying process and can offer the wisdom of that experience. A death doula can also help the dying loved one’s family understand and accept death as natural, and can help prepare them for when death finally comes.

Death doulas also encourage the dying person and their family to have healthy conversations about death and they can help the entire family plan for death.

Death doulas have many practical functions are very beneficial. They provide education about what happens as the body dies, and will let the family know when death is imminent. They advocate for the dying person (if they do not have a designated medical power of attorney) when the dying person is unable to express their own wishes.

Death doulas are effective coordinators between medical professionals, family members, and caregivers, which can relieve a lot of stress on the family as death approaches. They also provide companionship for the dying person and offer family members an opportunity to take brief (a few hours) breaks from caregiving to attend to their own needs.

Although death doulas aren’t certified, they are being added to the staffs of palliative care and hospice care agencies across the country. Death doulas go through a rigorous training program that qualifies them to very ably assist dying people and their families through the end-oflife process.

If you want more information about cremation services offered in Beltsville, MD, you can talk with our expert staff at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. You can drop by our funeral home at 4400 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD, 20705, or you can contact us today at (301) 937-1707.

funeral homes in Beltsville, MD

What to Say in a Sympathy Card

Funeral homes in Beltsville, MD can help you send sympathy cards to someone whose loved one has died. Sympathy cards are a traditional way to express condolences, offer comfort, and offer support to bereaved families.

The importance of a sympathy card cannot be overstated. Sympathy cards acknowledge that someone you know, whether you know them well or not, has had someone they love die and they are suffering from a loss. Even if there is already an inscription in the sympathy card you choose to send, you should include a handwritten note that expresses your condolences.

When you write a sympathy card, be sure to include the name of the person who died. Many people are hesitant to do this when families are grieving because they believe that the name will intensify the grief and sorrow. Just the opposite, however, is true. Reading a deceased loved one’s name in a sympathy card will acknowledge the deceased’s life and acknowledge that they meant something to you. This will bring comfort, not more sorrow.

If you knew the person who died well – you are a family member or close friend – and you have a photograph of them that you know the family would appreciate, include it in the sympathy card. If it’s a photo they haven’t seen before, then having it will bring them a lot of comfort and they will treasure it.

If you have a great story or memory about the loved one who died, take the time to share it with the family. Sometimes other family members or close friends have memories of or stories about a person before anyone in their immediate family knew them, and hearing these, especially ones that highlight the great attributes of their loved one will be something they will relish and add to their own memories and stories.

If you don’t know exactly what to say in a sympathy card, you’re not alone. There are no perfect words that will make everything all right and undo the loss of a loved one. Instead, acknowledge their loss by saying their loved one’s name, acknowledge their pain and their grief over the loss, and let them know you care about them.

There are some very good things that you can say in a sympathy card that will simply, yet effectively get your message across. These phrases can be modified and used together to help you express your thoughts and feelings adequately.

One phrase you can write a variation of is, “I am so sorry to hear of [name of the deceased]’s death. They were a wonderful person, and I know you will all miss them very much. You all are in my prayers for comfort and peace in the days ahead.”

“I cannot express how sorry and sad I feel at the loss of your [child, spouse, parent, sibling, etc.], [name of the deceased]. Please accept my condolences, and be assured that you and your family are continually in my thoughts during this difficult time for you.” Is another phrase that you can put in your own words to expressed your condolences in a sympathy card.

If you’d like to know more about writing sympathy cards at funeral homes in Beltsville, MD, you can talk with our knowledgeable team at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. You can visit our funeral home at 4400 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD, 20705, or you can call us today at (301) 937-1707.

cremation services offered in Burtonsville, MD

Finding Comfort after the Death of a Loved One

After a cremation services in Burtonsville, MD, you may feel as though the world has ended with the death of your loved one. Life ahead without them may look dark, empty, and hopeless. You may be at a loss as to what to do next. These are all normal feelings in the grieving process as the reality of death sets in.

Grieving is a healthy response to loss. However you grieve and whatever you feel or think, while it may share some general commonalities with what grief looks like, is unique to you and you need to take the time to walk through the fire of it. The grief will never leave, but it will change into a form that you can manage and lets you move ahead with life.

As the initial stages of grief subside, you may find that loneliness and emptiness persist. There are some very tangible things that you can do to find comfort that will ease those feelings.

Not all of these things are something you might want to do right away because in the early stages of grief, your emotions are running high and you aren’t thinking clearly. However, some of them may help take the edges off of the pain you are feeling.

One of the best ways to find comfort after the death of a loved one is connecting with other people. We have a natural tendency to withdraw from social contact when we’re extremely emotion and are feeling vulnerable and fragile. After all, who wants to embarrass themselves by breaking down and sobbing at the mere mention of their loved one’s name?

However, if you have family members close by, they can provide a lot of comfort, because you’re sharing the same loss. If you don’t have family members nearby, there are still some ways that you can connect with other people.

A great way is to join a grief support group. The funeral home is able to provide you with community grief resources and there are also grief support groups that meet online. It may take a little time to find the right mix of people in a support group that you feel comfortable with (this is true of any type of group), but stay with it until you do.

Another way to connect with people is by volunteering in a community organization that serves the needs of a segment of the population. Not only will you feel better because you’re serving others, but you will meet a lot of nice people in the process.

If you’re religious, then the Bible (the Psalms can be particularly comforting), prayer, going to church services, and talking with a trusted clergy member are excellence ways to find comfort after your loved one has died. If you’re not religious, find a quiet place outside that’s full of nature’s wonders and make that your comfort place.

You can find comfort after the death of a loved one by pursuing your own interests. There are many things we set aside as life goes on, and finding those things again after the death of a loved one may provide solace. They are certainly a way to assuage some of emptiness and loneliness.

If you want more information about cremation services offered in Burtonsville, MD, you can talk with our expert staff at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. You can drop by our funeral home at 4400 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD, 20705, or you can contact us today at (301) 937-1707.

funeral homes in Burtonsville, MD

Ensuring Your Funeral Plans are Followed

To be sure your funeral plans are followed at funeral homes in Burtonsville, MD, you need to make sure that they are accessible to your family and kept in a place where they know how to and are able to locate them after you die.

The easiest way to get your funeral plans in place is to create a document on your computer that spells out everything that you want done or that should be done for your funeral. You can update it and make changes as often as you want. Make sure that the person who will be responsible for planning your funeral – and a backup person, in case your first choice has already died or is otherwise unable – has a current copy of your funeral plans, and can access the file on your computer.

Some software packages that allow you to create end-of-life legal documents have a funeral plan document included that lets you spell out what you want done for your funeral.

After you finalize your funeral plans by documenting them, you should talk with your family about them and make sure each one of them has a written – and dated – copy of your funeral plans.

Be aware that some of your family members, even though you may be close and have a great relationship, may not be happy or agree with your funeral plans. For instance, you may have decided to be cremated with your cremation remains scattered in a place that is significant to you, while your wife or children would like to see you buried in the same cemetery where the rest of your family who has died is buried.

There is actually a way to negotiate the example above in a way that will fulfill your wishes and your family’s wishes. You can alter your funeral plan to say that a portion of your cremation remains should be scattered in the place where you want them scattered and the rest will be buried in the family cemetery.

Having said that, it’s important to know what a powerful impact earing someone’s funeral plans has on others. What it conveys is that you have given dying and death a lot of thought and your funeral plans are what you’ve settled on for the end. The odds are good that even if some of your family members don’t like all your choices, they will respect them and carry them out anyway.

The most practical way to make sure that your funeral plans are followed, however, in the event that someone in your family (who’s in a decision-making role) so strongly objects that they refuse to abide by them is to preplan your funeral with the funeral home.

Take your funeral plan down to the funeral home and let them know that this is what you want done after you’re dead. Some people, if they have a funeral insurance policy, will provide the funeral home with insurance company name and the insurance policy number.

You can also take care of providing the funeral director with all your pertinent information, and in the event that you’re a retired military veteran who wants funeral honors at your memorial service, you can provide the funeral director with a copy of your military discharge order (DD-214).

By taking care of these things ahead of time, you are actually relieving your family of a very huge burden, and you may be eliminating tension and fighting that can often occur when people are stressed out and grieving.

If you’d like to know more about funeral planning at funeral homes in Burtonsville, MD, you can talk with our knowledgeable team at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. You can visit our funeral home at 4400 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD, 20705, or you can call us today at (301) 937-1707.