Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions
What needs to happen when someone dies?
A medical officer (family or hospital physician, or the coroner) is needed to certify the death for legal purposes. Then a funeral director must handle and certify the disposition of the remains. Indiana is one of only five states that require a licensed funeral director to certify the transportation and disposal of human remains. Most states allow family members to act in that capacity. A “funeral” with viewing or services is never required; private family visitation in the home or hospital (before the funeral director is called) and an individualized memorial gathering at a later time may be chosen and handled by family and friends, or none at all.
No public health benefit results from embalming. You can state a preference for direct burial or cremation to the hospital or funeral home director when asked, and decide on arrangements accordingly. Private visitation immediately after the death, with family in the hospital or at home, does not require a funeral director’s involvement.
There is a 48-hour waiting period between time of death and the time a body may be cremated. No embalming is required, and no storage fee is charged for this time. If requested for religious or other reasons, the coroner alone may suspend this waiting period. There are very few restrictions as to the disposition of cremated remains. In virtually all cases, cremation is the simplest way of returning a body to the earth, if that is your priority. For more information, see our brochure Choices at the End of Life.
There is no legal regulation that
a person be buried inside a specific kind of casket or inside a
vault (although cemeteries may have these requirements). Reasons
for cemetery requirements may include prevention of ground
settling and avoidance of water contamination from embalming
chemicals. Religious groups have negotiated with cemetery owners
to vary requirements. You may provide your own container for
disposition of remains within certain guidelines and you cannot
be charged extra by a funeral director.
FAQ