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T.A. Ellement & Son
Professional, Trusted Funeral Directors
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Arranging a Funeral

At T.A. Ellement we know arranging a loved one’s funeral can be a daunting experience and is one of the most difficult things you will have to do.

We understand that most people who have suffered a bereavement will need guidance on what to do 1st and will often ask “what should I do now?”

We are to help you throughout the entire journey and offer advice, guidance and assistance.

We have put together a helpful downloadable Arranging a Funeral guide for you to view and we encourage you to take your time to choose the right options for your loved one. Our staff are always on hand to help and can talk you through the many different choices available.

If you are looking for something specific that is not in one of our brochures, then just ask – we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Someone very dear to you has passed away so what should I do now?

  • Call your doctor’s surgery for your GP or a locum to visit to certify the death.
  • Telephone your chosen Funeral Director for further advice and who will bring your loved one into their care.
  • You may call at any time of the day or night.
  • The Nursing Home staff will make all the immediate necessary arrangements for certification.
  • They will contact a Funeral Director of your choice, who will bring your loved one into their care.
  • The Hospital Staff will make all arrangements for certification of cause of death.
  • They will also advise you of when to visit the Bereavement Office/Patient Affairs Office to collect the medical certificate of cause of death.
  • Please be advised that should death occur during a weekend or Public Holiday there may be a slight delay before you are able to collect the certificate.
  • Contact your chosen Funeral Director who will then advise and help you as to what to do next.
  • Any death that occurs suddenly or unexpectedly whether at home, following an operation possibly, or an accident will be reported to the Coroner.
  • This will also be the case if someone is in hospital less than 24 hours prior to death.
  • The Coroner will usually be contacted either by your GP, the hospital doctor or the police.
  • The Coroner may wish to conduct a post mortem in order to establish the cause of death, which may result in the holding of an inquest.
  • Depending on the outcome, it may possibly delay the funeral.
  • The Coroner’s Officer will keep you informed of the procedures.
  • You may wish to contact your Funeral Director for further assistance and advice.

Registration of death

  • Registration of death must be done within 5 days and will always take place in the area where the death occurred.
  • Certificates are currently £11.00 each, if bought on the day.
  • Clarification of which Registrar of Births and Deaths to attend can be obtained from your Funeral Director, the Nursing Home, Hospital Patient Affairs Officer/Bereavement Office or the Coroner’s Officer.
  • We have listed the details of our most local Registrars of Births and Deaths and the information you will be required to take with you in our downloadable Arranging a Funeral guide.
The next things to do – the funeral
  • You will now be giving some thought as to the type of funeral that would be most appropriate for your loved one.
  • Your loved one may have left specific instructions with regard to the type and format for their funeral.
  • This may be instructions in their will or even a Prepayment Funeral Plan (you can take this to the Funeral Director with instructions and the Prepayment Plan certificate).
  • If your loved one has not left any specific instructions, then the choice will be up to you as to whether the funeral is a burial or a cremation and where it is to take place.
  • Your Funeral Director will be able to guide you and make all the necessary bookings.
  • It is usually best to allow them to liaise with churches, celebrants, cemeteries or crematoria to arrange a mutually convenient date and time for all (they would discuss suitable days and times with you first).
  • A funeral does not have to be religious or include a full church service.
  • Your Funeral Director will be happy to discuss all options and help you to work out what is going to constitute the most appropriate funeral for your loved one.
  • When you are ready to make the funeral arrangements, please telephone your chosen Funeral Director to arrange a mutually convenient appointment for you to attend one of their Funeral Homes, or to arrange a visit you in the comfort of your own home.
Some of our services
  • Part of making arrangements for the funeral of your loved one will include:
  • Discussing the type of service required i.e. burial or cremation, location for funeral service.
  • Choice of coffin including eco-friendly options – Our brochures show the choice available however, we will try to accommodate something specific if it isn’t shown in our brochure.
  • Choice of celebrant (religious or non-religious).
  • Choice/number of vehicles required apart from the Hearse, etc.
  • You will also be shown a choice of gowns for your loved one or you may provide us with their own clothes.
  • We also have a choice of caskets or urns for cremated remains and temporary grave markers should you require them.
  • We can also help you with extra services such as:
  • Death notices in newspapers
  • Donations in lieu of flowers
  • Horse Drawn Hearse
  • Remembrance Doves – Each dove will arrive with a professional dove handler at a pre-arranged time and after the service the family can release the dove, or if preferred by the handler. Please bear in mind that prevailing weather conditions may affect the time and release of the dove(s).
  • Chapel of Rest for Viewing
  • Choice of music/hymns
  • Soloists
  • Pipers
Other Things to do following a loved one’s death
  • Car Insurance: Advise the Insurance Company if the Policy is in the name of the deceased (you are not legally insured to drive if the policy is not in your name).
  • Social Services/District Nurse: Return equipment and cancel any Hospital and/or doctor’s appointments.
  • Contact the deceased’s Employer or professional Association together with the Inland Revenue.
  • Social Security: Cancel any direct payment into bank/building society accounts etc.
  • Local Government: Cancel Housing/Rates benefits.
  • Notify the Gas and Electricity boards and also the telephone company – this may be to cancel amenities or amend account details.
  • Contact the Post Office to redirect mail if necessary (a small charge is made for this service). We can also provide you with details to enable cancellation of unwanted mail addressed to the deceased.
  • Contact Credit Card companies, Banks and Building Societies even if accounts are in joint names, as you will need to amend the details.
  • Investments and Insurance policies: Premium Bonds are not transferable, but the Post Office will provide you with a form for completion and submission to the Bonds and Stock Office.
  • Items to be returned: Passport, Driving Licence, Vehicle Registration documents, car insurance policies, TV Licence, Season tickets and any club membership cards, all National Insurance papers.
Cremated Remains and Memorials
  • After the funeral there may be decisions to be made regarding the disposal of the cremated remains.
  • You could consider scattering in the crematorium gardens of remembrance, interment in a columbarium or in a grave. You may even like to have them at home.
  • We will be happy to assist in choosing the appropriate option and can make any necessary arrangements with third parties.
  • We have a selection of urns and caskets available including those in solid wood, cast bronze, woven willow or bamboo.
  • We also have a selection of keepsakes available.
  • If your chosen funeral was a burial, you may wish to consider having a memorial placed on the grave.
  • We have oak or sapele wood crosses as temporary markers with small inscription plates on and we have brochures for permanent memorials.

Prepayment Funeral Plans

At some point in our lives some of us think about what lies ahead and feel the need to make plans, which may include what type of funeral we would like to have. This may be prompted by funerals we have attended, religious/ non-religious beliefs, age, illness, life’s circumstances etc. There are many pre-payment funeral plans around today and many offer similar services therefore it is always a good idea to look at several before deciding which you choose. It is also advisable to visit the funeral director whom you wish to nominate to carry out your funeral to get a better picture of what they can offer and whether they are able to service the plan you are thinking of choosing, or indeed whether they have something better suited to you.

Please feel free to ask the staff for any assistance.

We hope this booklet will be a helpful guide to those who have suffered a bereavement.

For more information, please feel free to download a copy of our Arranging a Funeral guide.

We have qualified staff who will take time to go through everything with you and answer your queries. You will always be given an estimate of costs when you visit our offices to make provisional arrangements and you will be asked to sign showing acceptance of our Terms and Conditions. Once the funeral is fully confirmed you will receive a confirmation letter together with another estimate. You are free at any time to make alterations within reason and we will do our utmost to comply with your wishes. Upon acceptance of our Terms and Conditions we kindly ask for a deposit to cover the estimated third party costs or disbursements and 50% of our charges. We accept cheques, cash and most credit/debit cards.

Professional, Trusted Funeral Directors

With more than 135 years’ experience of funeral care, T.A. Ellement is Hillingdon and Harrow’s most trusted funeral director. We are available six days a week and can be reached on: 01923 825372 (Northwood); and 020 88660324 (Pinner) 01895 621950 (Ruislip). Alternatively, you can drop us a line at: funerals@taellement.co.uk

Branches

Our 3 locations

Pinner

Northwood

Ruislip

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