Serenity Funeral Chapel Life Celebration Center & Cremation Services of Idaho
Serenity Funeral Chapel | 502 2nd Avenue North | Twin Falls, ID 208-733-0991
Rock Creek Celebration Center a.k.a. "Downtown":  A multipurpose event venue hosting Last Call Pub & Catering | 320 Main Avenue North | Twin Falls, ID 208-595-2628

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National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)


We are a member of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) and as such, we adhere to a strict code of professional conduct, http://nfda.org/about-nfda-/code-of-professional-conduct.html, that ensures the highest professional standards and quality of service to our funeral and cremation families.

In accordance with the NFDA Code of Professional Conduct, we acknowledge and adhere to the obligations of the funeral and cremation profession in five (5) key areas, which follow an Ethical Principle that sets forth the goals and ideals of the profession.

These obligations to all of our funeral and cremation families are:

I. To the Family

Ethical Principle: Members have an ethical obligation to serve each family in a professional and caring manner, being respectful of their wishes and confidences, being honest and fair in all dealings with them and being considerate of those of lesser means.

II. For the Care of the Decedent

Ethical Principle: Members have an ethical obligation to care for each deceased person with the highest respect and dignity, and to transport, prepare and shelter the remains in a professional, caring and conscientious manner.

III. To the Public

Ethical Principle: Members have an ethical obligation to offer their services and to operate their businesses in accordance with the highest principles of honesty, fair dealing and professionalism.

IV. To the Government

Ethical Principle: Members have an ethical obligation to maintain strict compliance with the letter and spirit of all governmental laws and regulations that impact the funeral consumer, the funeral profession, and the public health.

V. To NFDA

Ethical Principle: Members have an ethical obligation to promote, participate and support the National Funeral Directors Association in its mission to help all members enhance the quality of funeral service to families.

NFDA Consumer Tips for Arranging a Funeral or Cremation

At some time in our lives, most of us will make or assist in making funeral or cremation arrangements.

This will not be an easy time, but the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) offers these tips for smart funeral or cremation planning.

1. Be an informed consumer. Don't be reluctant to ask questions.

2. Today's funeral director offers a variety of options to meet your financial needs and wishes. Families should discuss all funeral and cremation options with their funeral director when making funeral or cremation arrangements. 

3. When selecting a funeral director, choose one who is licensed and has a good reputation in the community. Give thought to this decision as you would when choosing a doctor, attorney or other professional. 

4. Be prepared! Avoid the burden of making decision while under emotional stress by organizing details with your funeral director ahead of time. Remember ... preplanning doesn't necessarily mean prepaying. 

5. Plan a personal and meaningful funeral or cremation ceremony or service to help you begin the healing process. Getting through grief is never easy but having a meaningful funeral will help.

Funeral & Cremation Preplanning Can Offer Emotional and Financial Security

Thinking about one's funeral or cremation leaves most people feeling a little uneasy, but more adults are finding that preparing for the inevitable is a wise decision. Those preplanning their own funerals or cremations say it offers great emotional and even financial security.

Approximately 98 percent of American funeral homes offer funeral and cremation preplanning options to families in their communities, according to the National Funeral Directors Associations (NFDA). Among the biggest reasons families prearrange funerals and cremations is the peace of mind that comes with knowing a spouse or child will not be left with making important decisions at a stressful time.

Preplanning ensures the family that their loved one's final wishes for funeral or cremation will be met. Many families are comforted knowing the funeral reflects what their loved one wanted. Preplanning may or may not involve prepaying. NFDA recommends prearranging for everyone and suggests discussing with a licensed funeral director the benefits prepayment can offer.

There are generally three basic ways to prepay a funeral or cremation.

A regulated trust can be established by a licensed funeral director.
A life-insurance policy can be purchased, equal to the value of the funeral.
Individuals can establish a savings or certificate of deposit account earmarked for funeral expenses. The account can be designated as "payable on death" (POD) to the funeral home.
As with any contract, it's wise to read the prepayment agreement carefully to be sure you understand all the provisions. You may want to ask:

Who receives the interest on the account, and who must pay taxes on the interest?
Is the prepayment ever refundable, in part or in full?
Can the plan be used at a funeral home of my choice?
What happens if the funeral home goes out of business or is sold?
In the event the purchaser of the plan moves, is the prefunded plan transferable?
Once you've made your funeral or cremation prearrangements, keep a copy of your plan and any pertinent paperwork in a safe place and inform a close friend or relative what arrangements you’ve made and where the information may be found.

One of our funeral directors can walk you through the prearrangement process. NFDA recommends prearranging for everyone and developed the Bill of Rights for funeral consumers,

http://nfda.org/planning-a-funeral/preplanning/30, as a resource for understanding what to expect from a preneed contract.

Copyright © 2006 National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) www.nfda.org

FTC Funeral Rule


The Funeral Rule, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), makes it possible for you to choose only those goods and services you want or need and to pay only for those you select, whether you are making arrangements when a death occurs or in advance. The Rule allows you to compare prices among funeral homes, and makes it possible for you to select the funeral arrangements you want at the home you use. (The Rule does not apply to third-party sellers, such as casket and monument dealers, or to cemeteries that lack an on-site funeral home.)

Your Rights Under the Funeral Rule

The Funeral Rule gives you the right to:
  • Buy only the funeral arrangements you want. You have the right to buy separate goods (such as caskets) and services (such as embalming or a memorial service). You do not have to accept a package that may include items you do not want.
  • Get price information on the telephone. Funeral directors must give you price information on the telephone if you ask for it. You don’t have to give them your name, address, or telephone number first. Although they are not required to do so, many funeral homes mail their price lists, and some post them online.
  • Get a written, itemized price list when you visit a funeral home. The funeral home must give you a General Price List (GPL) that is yours to keep. It lists all the items and services the home offers, and the cost of each one.
  • See a written casket price list before you see the actual caskets. Sometimes, detailed casket price information is included on the funeral home’s GPL. More often, though, it’s provided on a separate casket price list. Get the price information before you see the caskets, so that you can ask about lower-priced products that may not be on display.
  • See a written outer burial container price list. Outer burial containers are not required by state law anywhere in the U.S., but many cemeteries require them to prevent the grave from caving in. If the funeral home sells containers, but doesn’t list their prices on the GPL, you have the right to look at a separate container price list before you see the containers. If you don’t see the lower-priced containers listed, ask about them.
  • Receive a written statement after you decide what you want, and before you pay. It should show exactly what you are buying and the cost of each item. The funeral home must give you a statement listing every good and service you have selected, the price of each, and the total cost immediately after you make the arrangements.
  • Get an explanation in the written statement from the funeral home that describes any legal cemetery or crematory requirement that requires you to buy any funeral goods or services.
  • Use an “alternative container” instead of a casket for cremation. No state or local law requires the use of a casket for cremation. A funeral home that offers cremations must tell you that alternative containers are available, and must make them available. They might be made of unfinished wood, pressed wood, fiberboard, or cardboard.
  • Provide the funeral home with a casket or urn you buy elsewhere. The funeral provider cannot refuse to handle a casket or urn you bought online, at a local casket store, or somewhere else — or charge you a fee to do it. The funeral home cannot require you to be there when the casket or urn is delivered to them.
  • Make funeral arrangements without embalming. No state law requires routine embalming for every death. Some states require embalming or refrigeration if the body is not buried or cremated within a certain time; some states don’t require it at all. In most cases, refrigeration is an acceptable alternative. In addition, you may choose services like direct cremation and immediate burial, which don’t require any form of preservation. Many funeral homes have a policy requiring embalming if the body is to be publicly viewed, but this is not required by law in most states. Ask if the funeral home offers private family viewing without embalming. If some form of preservation is a practical necessity, ask the funeral home if refrigeration is available.
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