Saturday, March 31, 2018

Mysteries Of Vernacular: Hearse - Jessica Oreck



Today, we recognize the word hearse as a vehicle that carries a coffin to a funeral. Jessica Oreck explains how this word has, at various times, described a wolf, a rake, and a frame, eventually landing at its meaning today.

Lesson and animation by Jessica Oreck.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Webcasting Available At Bryan-Braker


Bryan-Braker Funeral Home has been providing the families that they serve with options of custom printed books and programs, DVD video tributes, and slideshows on multiple screens in their chapel. Over the past years, families have been asking for a way that far away family members can view the services as well via the internet, so Bryan-Braker has setup webcasting in their chapels.

Too often the only way distant friends and family can remember a loved one is by a phone call, sending a card or flowers along with heartfelt sympathy and remembrances. These gestures can never replace actual participation in celebrating the life of someone close. Bryan-Braker Funeral Home introduced Memorial Webcasting in the Bryan-Braker’s Chapel in Fairfield and Vacaville. Webcasting enables family and friends to remember the life of a loved one. Funeral directors are able to broadcast a funeral or memorial service via the internet.

When family and friends cannot attend in person – due to distance, illness, finances, or other reasons, they can now view a live video stream of the funeral service on the internet. This allows friends and family members who are unable to come to the funeral to feel included.

Along with each live webcast, the service is saved to their memorial obituary page, www.bryanbraker.com, for on-demand viewing. This way those who couldn’t watch it live will still have a chance to view the services. And often times, families would like the opportunity to view the services at a later time to reflect on the eulogies, music and the celebration of life. Each service will remain on Bryan-Braker Funeral Home’s website for 90 days.
                                                                                               
Also on their website, you can find service times, directions to the service, sign the condolence book, post photographs for the family to see, and view a video tribute if one was produced. Bryan-Braker added a secure page for anyone who chooses to make their own pre-arrangements on the website. To start your pre-arrangements it will ask you to set up a username and password that is only known to the user. The information sent to Bryan-Braker Funeral Home will be placed in a confidential file in their office. The user may also sign on and make any changes necessary at any time.

Webcasting, by Bryan-Braker, expands their services to the families they are privileged to serve by enabling loved ones to take part in the visitation or service at any time, anywhere over the internet. If you want to learn more you can contact Bryan-Braker Funeral Home at (707) 425-4697 or email at info@bryanbraker.com.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

A Brief History Of Funeral Coaches


It is a given that in this lifetime, each of us will be faced with the death of someone we love. It is an inevitable and sad part of life.
Making funeral arrangements is indeed stressful and adds to the grief as it demands decision making in a lot of important details, including the choice of a funeral car or hearse.
A funeral car is essential for a lot of reasons and is often necessary to travel to the burial place. Actually, they started as horse-drawn wagons. And although they've developed over the years, the early traditions have lived on when it comes to funeral cars or hearses.
Actually, in today's funeral industry, a hearse is not generally called a hearse. It's more known as a funeral coach or car. Why? Funeral directors think that this term is a little less frightening than the common one.
The word "hearse" in fact comes from the Middle English word "herse". This refers to a type of candelabra often put on top of a coffin. Sometime in the 17th century, people had started using this word to refer to the horse-drawn carriages that carry the casket to the burial place during the funeral procession.
Until the 20th century, hearses remained to be horse-drawn. Nobody was quite sure of the exact year when motorized hearses were first used. But as assumed, it is most likely between 1901 and 1907.
Actually, the first hearse motor was electric. The first hearse with internal combustion engine only appeared in 1909, at Wilfrid A. Pruyn's funeral. And the responsibility for this innovation was H.D. Ludlow. This new kind of hearse was pretty popular with the funerals of wealthier people.
Although Ludlow's creation has been popular to the public, most funeral directors found motorized hearses to be too expensive. As prices went down and internal combustion engines became further powerful, funeral directors then realized that the faster the hearse is, the more funerals they can accommodate per day. And by 1920s, gas-powered funeral cars became the standard.
The first gasoline-driven funeral cars were actually akin to the boxy design of the horse-drawn ones. But in the 1930s, the longer funeral coach was introduced by Sayers and Scovill. This sleek, limousine-like shape remains to be popular today.
Nowadays, the largest funeral coach manufacturer of funeral cars in the United States is Accubuilt, Inc. And over the years, a significant number of funeral car manufacturers have merged. These include Eureka, Miller-Meteor, Superior Coach, and Sayers and Scovill. For anyone interested in funeral cars and coaches, these names are quite recognizable.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5274630

Friday, March 16, 2018

How To Arrange A Catholic Funeral Service



A Catholic funeral is similar to other funeral services with the exception of some of the rudiments of the Catholic service. Expect to use a Catholic priest, a Catholic church and a few other items when planning a Catholic funeral with help from a licensed funeral director and embalmer in this free video on funeral planning.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

How To Help Your Child Cope With Grief | Child Anxiety



No child should suffer depression and anxiety without help, seek professional help for you and your child and here’s some resources for educating yourself along the way

Saturday, March 10, 2018

How To Deliver A Eulogy | Public Speaking



So, how do you deliver a eulogy?

This is a solemn occasion. It's obviously sad typically. But you are still there to give a presentation. It's not the time to get up and just start blubbering away.

It's not really helping people remember the person who just passed away any more effectively. Then it's about you if it's just you can't keep it together.

What I would recommend is focus on one or two of the qualities that people loved the most about that person. And then tell a story or two that really dramatizes that person's warmth. How they cared for people. What they contributed to the world, to their family and their friends.

Focus on that. You're not there to give the consummate biography of the whole person's life. You're not there to give an unbiased objective view of the person's life.

You're there to put a spotlight on what was special about this person. Why people loved this person and what you'll miss the most. If you do that you will give a great eulogy.

And I would recommend don't memorize it. It's already a tense situation. That tension is going to make it harder for you to recall. I wouldn't get up and read a big speech. If you want to have a few notes that's fine.

But realize this is not a test. This isn't a business PowerPoint presentation. This is a time for you to share from your heart what was special about this person. To make the other people there have fond memories.

Do that and it will be the best you can do in a tough situation.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Who We Are



Since 1954 the Bryan family has cared for Solano County families. They have built a leading reputation on distinctively better service at a fair and moderate price.

There are many things we provide to those we serve that are unique to us.

A ceremony facilitated by Bryan-Braker is a beautiful and meaningful tribute that honors the person who has passed away and, of equal importance, honors relationships with the living. It would not be unusual to attend a Bryan-Braker ceremony that includes a photo slideshow before the service and a table displaying special mementos, a bale of hay and a saddle displayed for the woman who enjoyed her horses, a quilt covering the foot of the casket (instead of a floral spray) for the woman who was known for her quilt-making prowess, fishing equipment for the man who spent many happy times along our mountain streams of the Sierras, sports memorabilia for the fan of the 49ers, and the like.

In getting to know you, we take pride in listening, learning, and suggesting ways that the ceremony you prefer is full of meaning. We have years of experience caring for families, from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because they know we are the leaders in our profession, dedicated to excellence in service, and have the highest integrity.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Hospice and Palliative Care

In the last 30 years, hospice and palliative care organizations across the country have made an incredible difference in the lives and the last days of millions of people and their families. Simply put, palliative care is focused on the relief of a patient’s pain, rather than curing the underlying illness. It is not an attempt to prolong life or to bring about death. Palliative care can be provided along with curative procedures, or in the case of hospice, without those efforts for a person with a life-limiting condition and a prognosis of only months to live.
In this moving video below, a man provides his personal perspective on the value of hospice care and how helping his mother-in-law move from the hospital to hospice care at her home made a positive, and life-affirming difference for her and her family, even as she approached death.
 Hospice began as a way of treating terminally ill cancer patients but soon grew to encompass palliative care for patients suffering from any life-limiting condition. Before the hospice and palliative care movement took root in this country, the dominant focus of treatment for the terminally ill was the preservation and prolongation of life at any cost. Many people who had little hope of living more than weeks or months were subjected to extraordinary and intrusive procedures in an attempt to keep them alive for even a little bit longer. An unintended consequence of this focus on treatment was a loss in the quality of life for many patients who died in pain or unconscious in hospitals, rather than in a coherent and pain-free state in the presence of their families.

Options for Care

Throughout the ages, most people have been able to die in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes. In the mid to late 20th century, this changed as treatment focused on prolonging life at all costs. More and more people ended up dying, often against their own wishes, in the cold and institutional environments of hospitals. One of the most significant ways that the hospice movement has helped patients and their families, is advocating for the right of patients to choose where they spent their last days, allowing the terminally ill to once again have the option of dying at home.
Although this option remains a priority for hospice organizations, care is available in a variety of settings. In addition to in-home skilled nursing care, hospice care is available in nursing homes, hospitals, and inpatient hospice care facilities. Some organizations supplement in-home care with periods of facility-based care to provide respite for caregivers. This service allows for caregivers to recharge and enables them to continue to care for the patient at home for a longer time. Generally, the services provided to hospice patients includes nursing care, physician care, 24-hour on-call assistance, medical social services, spiritual support, trained volunteers, and bereavement services for patients in any treatment setting, as well as home care aids, and limited 24-hour continuous care for patients at home.

Who pays for hospice care?

Many see in-home care to be a far preferable experience for the patient, and it is less expensive to deliver as well. Insurance coverage for hospice care is available through Medicaid, Medicare, and many private insurers. In fact, Hospice care saves these programs and taxpayers money, as compared to costs associated with traditional treatment.

Who is eligible for hospice care?

Typically, patients with a physician’s diagnosis of a terminal illness and a prognosis of living for only another six months are eligible for hospice care. Hospice care is available to the terminally ill no matter what their age. If you or your loved one fits this description, discuss your options with your physician.

When to call

Many patients and their family members remark that they wish they had contacted their hospice care provider earlier, and providers encourage people to call as soon as they are diagnosed with a life-limiting condition. Often, the quality of life experienced by the patient and the family can be meaningfully improved, and their ability to maintain care at home prolonged because of an early call to hospice.
Patients with life-limiting conditions have more options today than ever before, including the opportunity to spend their last days in a lucid, pain managed and comforted environment. The ability to spend these precious days interacting with their families and friends in a meaningful way has had a wonderful effect on their experience and that of those close to them. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, talk with your physician about all the options for your care, including hospice.

http://www.remembranceprocess.com/pre-planning/14-hospice-and-palliative-care

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Child Bereavement: Words Of Comfort For A Child


Young people need as much time to grieve after the death of someone close, whether they show it or not. The most common issue for a parent is that the child doesn't 'seem' to be distressed so they don't want to upset them. Children are in a world where they are used to not having control over things and therefore often accept things quicker that doesn't mean that it is OK with them though. Their feelings can be hidden from people, the child often watches the grown up to see how they are 'supposed' to react. It is a very confusing and painful time for a child and they can feel very uncertain of everything. A hug and a honesty is often the best way to help the child cope. However if your in much pain yourself then this can be very difficult.
Very young children may miss the person who has died but they do not really understand that death is permanent. However they will be very sensitive to the reactions of those around them. They may become very anxious and unsettled and will need even more love and attention. Try to get them back into a calm routine as soon as possible.
School-age children begin to understand more about death and become aware that the person is not coming back. They may feel angry and worried as well as sad that the safety of their world has been upset in this way. Younger children may also worry that they caused the death by something naughty they said or did.
Children tend to express their feelings through behavior rather than words. Rather than looking distressed or crying you may find they are more irritable or energetic, for example. They may wake at night or have nightmares and they may show their anxiety by regressing to more babyish talk and demanding behavior  Children will need explanations and reassurances about their worries and opportunities to express their feelings through talking with understanding friends and relatives or through play. Encouraging happy memories through looking at photographs or other mementos can be a comfort.
Teenagers are more likely to understand death as an adult does and more likely to be aware of the feelings of others. However they are also likely to find it difficult to express their feelings in words, particularly to other adults and they may bottle up their emotions because they think everyone in the family is already upset enough. As a result their distress may affect their lives in other ways. For example they may become withdrawn or schoolwork may suffer or they may seem more difficult and less cooperative, for example. Make it clear that you understand they are going through a distressing time and that you are there to listen if they want to talk about the person who has died or their own feelings
With the invention of the internet many young people have found that services such as Memorial websites can give them a place to go and remember the person they have lost and share their grief with other friends and family members, without the immediacy of being face to face which most teenagers find uncomfortable.
If you are so distressed by the death yourself that you cannot offer a child or young person the support they need, try to ensure that another relative or family friend is there for them. Routine is vital for children as they can easily feel very nervous of change at this time, ultimately there is no perfect way for you to guide a child through grief and watching them try to cope can be heartbreaking.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/327254