Editing Funeral home (section)

==Services==
Funeral homes arrange services in accordance with the wishes of surviving friends and family, whether immediate next of kin or an executor so named in a legal will. The funeral home often takes care of the necessary paperwork, permits, and other details, such as making arrangements with the [[cemetery]], and providing [[obituary|obituaries]] to the news media. The funeral business has a history that dates to the age of the Egyptians who mastered the science of preservation. In recent years many funeral homes have started posting obituaries online and use materials submitted by families to create memorial websites.<ref name=Support>{{Cite journal|last=Lensing|first=Vicki|date=2001-01-01|title=Grief Support: The Role of Funeral Service|journal=Journal of Loss and Trauma|volume=6|issue=1|pages=45–63|doi=10.1080/108114401753197468|s2cid=144836917|issn=1532-5024}}</ref>

There are certain common types of services in [[North America]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.women.com/sophiematthews/lists/how-to-plan-a-funeral-or-memorial-service-checklist|title=Checklist: All You Need to Know About Planning a Funeral|access-date=2018-05-15|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=Support />
A traditional funeral service consists of a viewing (sometimes referred to as a visitation), a funeral service in a place of worship or the funeral home chapel and a graveside committal service. 
Direct cremation consists of the funeral home receiving the body, preparing it for the [[crematory]] and filing the necessary legal paperwork.
Direct/immediate burial is the forgoing of a funeral ceremony for a prompt, simple burial.
Moving a body between mortuaries involves preparing it for shipment in a [[coffin]] strapped into an arbitrary or a combination unit (mac pac / airtray). This is common when it is to be buried in a different locality than where the person died.<ref name=Support />

When a body is brought to a funeral home, it is sometimes [[embalming|embalmed]] to delay decomposition or to make the viewing of the body more pleasant. The procedure typically involves removing sufficient blood material to accommodate the preservative chemicals and dyes, aspirating the internal [[Organ (anatomy)|organs]] and setting the facial features. Cosmetics are used with the consent of the family to improve the appearance of face and hands for a more natural look. If the face or hands are disfigured by accident, illness or decomposition, the embalmer may utilize restorative techniques to make them presentable for an "open casket" service. If this is not possible, or the family wishes, the funeral home can perform a "closed casket" service.<ref name=Support />

The funeral home often sets aside one or more large areas for people to gather at a visitation. This area may contain a space to display the body in a casket to visitors who may pay their respects. Funeral and memorial services may also take place at the funeral home. Many funeral homes offer prearrangement options for those who wish to plan their own funerals.<ref>{{cite web |title=Planning Your Own Funeral |url=https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0305-planning-your-own-funeral |website=Federal Trade Commission. Consumer Information |date=27 July 2012 |publisher=Federal Trade Commission |access-date=23 February 2019}}</ref><ref name=Support />

Several large multi-national corporations in this service field have received exposure from high-profile litigation.<ref name ="test">Dummer, Stephen W., ''Mississippi Judicial System: Failing to Meet the Minimum Standard of Justice in Loewen Group, Inc. v. O'Keefe'', 6 GEO. J. L. & PUB. POL'Y 531 (2008).</ref>  The [[Loewen Group]], Inc., received a particularly large jury verdict in [[Mississippi]], which was later found to be in error, as the allegations against Loewen Group proved false. The [[Canada|Canadian]]-based company then brought suit against the [[United States]] alleging violations under [[NAFTA]].<ref name="test" />

[[Houston]] based [[Service Corporation International]] has also had its share of legal troubles in its operations of both funeral homes and cemeteries. In 2009, a class-action lawsuit was filed against SCI and Eden Memorial Park, one of the cemeteries the corporation manages, based on allegations that remains were being moved around to create additional space for future interments. A settlement of $80 million was reached in 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moshtaghian |first=Artemis |date=2014-02-27|title=California cemetery agrees to $80 million settlement over desecrating remains|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/us/california-cemetery-settlement/index.html|access-date=2018-07-11|language=en-US}}</ref>

Most funeral homes will handle everything from the start till the end including the body preparation and venue preparation<ref>{{Cite web |title=Singapore Funeral Services {{!}} Qualified For All Religions |url=https://www.singaporefuneralservices.sg/ |access-date=2023-09-16 |website=Harmony Funeral Care |language=en-US}}</ref> but if you wish to do these arrangements on your own individually, you can also do so.

In Singapore, funeral venues have evolved to provide more modern, spacious environments alongside traditional services. For example, Woodlands Memorial, one of the largest private funeral parlours in the country, offers integrated wake halls, private family suites, and an on-site columbarium.{{cite web|title=Woodlands Memorial Funeral Venue in Singapore|url=https://www.woodlandsmemorial.com.sg|website=Woodlands Memorial|access-date=2025-04-29}}