Ross Hickton Warns 18 Per Cent Regret Funeral Director Plans
Funeral director Ross Hickton has urged families to think twice before choosing online direct cremation plans, after research found 18 per cent regretted selecting an unattended send off. He said families should discuss funeral wishes before committing to a type of funeral or pre-paid plan.
The warning comes during Dying Matters Week, which runs from May 4 to 10, as Hickton Family Funeral Directors in Cradley Heath points families toward face-to-face guidance from a local independent funeral director. Hickton said research also showed more than a quarter of people who used an online company wished they had had more help with the arrangements.
Dying Matters Week and Ross Hickton
Hickton, managing director of Hickton Family Funeral Directors in Cradley Heath, said direct cremations can cost around £1,600 and are often chosen to reduce the financial burden of a funeral. He said: “Families should really think twice and discuss funeral wishes with each other before committing to a type of funeral or pre-paid funeral plan.”
He also said: “As we can see from the research over a quarter of people who used an online company wished they would have had more guidance and help with the arrangements. This in my opinion can only be given by face-to-face contact, with a local independent funeral director who knows the local community and can guide families to a good decision.”
SAIF Handled With Care
SAIF launched its Handled With Care campaign ahead of Dying Matters Week. The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors said the emotional impact of direct cremation can be long-lasting, and its research found one in five people, or 20 per cent, said the experience left them or others with unresolved grief, emotional gaps or a lingering sense that something was missing.
The same research found 21 per cent have since told their own families they do not want an online direct cremation when they die, and the same number regret not discussing their loved one’s funeral wishes while they were alive. SAIF also said one in four people surveyed, or 25 per cent, agreed attending a funeral is an important first step in the grieving process.
Local Guidance in Cradley Heath
Hickton said his company had helped one family arrange a short service in its funeral home before an unattended cremation, allowing close family and friends to say goodbye while still upholding the person’s wishes. He said they had contacted several other providers who were unable to accommodate that arrangement.
For families weighing an online direct cremation plan, the practical next step is to ask whether a local independent funeral director can build in a short service or another form of guidance before any commitment is made.
