Frequently Asked Questions
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If you have experienced the passing of a loved one, please allow us to express our condolences and offer our help. You can reach us at (800) 474-0448, or call your local SouthCare Funeral Home for immediate assistance. For contact information, please click here
If you’re caring for your loved one and death is imminent, we’ll be here to guide you through the next steps. You may find it helpful to review and print the information below:
If a Death Occurs at Home
If a death has occurred at home and your loved one is not under hospice care, please call 911 and a police officer will respond to the home. If your loved one is under hospice care, please call the hospice nurse. Once help arrives, please have them contact us at (800) 474-0448 to reach one of our Atlanta funeral homes.
At a Hospital, Hospice Facility, or Nursing Home
Contact the nurse or physician. In most cases, he or she will come to the room and make the pronouncement of death. Once help arrives, please have them contact us at (800) 474-0448 to reach one of our Atlanta funeral homes.
Medical Examiner or Coroner Cases
If your loved one is in the care of the medical examiner or coroner, you will need to authorize him or her to release your loved one into our care. Please ask them to contact us at (800) 474-0448 to reach one of our Atlanta funeral homes. We will then contact you to schedule a meeting with one of our funeral directors, usually the following day.
Out of Area
Contact us at (800) 474-0448 to reach one of our Atlanta funeral homes and a funeral director will assist you. It is important to contact us prior to contacting another funeral provider. This may save time and minimize expenses.
Once your loved one has been received into our care, we’ll contact you the next business morning and schedule a time for you to make the necessary arrangements.
A cremation and funeral society is a membership organization dedicated to providing high quality pre-planned cremation and funeral services at an affordable price.
Cremation and funeral pre-planning is for anyone who wants their wishes to be recorded and on file for the future and for those who wish to alleviate their family of emotional hardship and overspending due to grief.
Membership comes with many benefits. In addition to fair prices, savings and a full range of services, membership in SouthCare’s cremation and funeral society provides access to caring professionals at each of our Atlanta funeral homes, pre-planning options, personalized service and peace of mind for your loved ones. For a complete list of Membership Benefits click here
The Society should be notified at the time of death. Our staff will respond to the location of passing and receive your loved one into our care. Usually the next business day the legal next-of-kin meets with one of our licensed funeral directors to sign the appropriate authorization forms. Currently, SouthCare also offers the option of online arrangements depending on the level of service desired by the family, click here to get started. SouthCare will then secure legal permits and prepare the body according to the final arrangements. In the case of cremation, once complete, the cremated remains are placed in the selected urn or container and available for pickup or delivery.
Yes. SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society™ has an establishment license and employs licensed funeral directors and embalmers to offer quality services and merchandise.
Yes, SouthCare offers the ability to pay in advance for final arrangements, covering the expenses associated with cremation or funeral services. Depending on the services selected, cremation and/or funeral, there may be additional charges at the time of death for any additional services selected by the family that are not part of the pre-paid arrangements. At the time of death, we will contact your family or next of kin to discuss your wishes. Prepayments are placed in trust or an insurance policy for your protection.
Social Security pays a lump sum death benefit to a living legal spouse and not the Society. Veterans may apply for reimbursement or cash benefits to be paid to the family or next-of-kin. Additional veteran services include a U.S. burial flag, free grave space, headstones or markers, Presidential certificates and military honors.
Yes. We’re here to meet your family’s needs during your time of loss, no matter the faith or religion. Our options for cremations and burials can be personalized to fit your family’s faith and beliefs.
- The ability to make arrangements online at your leisure in the comfort of your home or anywhere in the world. Click here to see our online Google reviews
- The way we serve our veterans. All veteran transfers are made with a draped flag in honor of their service to our country. In addition, we developed a Veteran’s Planning Guide and offer it free of charge to assist the family in receiving all benefits they are entitled too. Click here to download. Since 1994 we have been privileged to serve over 3000 veterans and their families.
- Trained cremation specialists. We are one of the few funeral homes in the greater Atlanta area with access to our own personal crematorium. As of September 2018, only 1 in 6 funeral homes owned their own crematory in Georgia.
- Our Staff – We recognize we are privileged to serve our community and invite you to click here to read what families have said about our service and staff.
- One service at a time – our chapels and cafés are available to you, your family and your friends exclusively during your service. We are committed to one service at a time with complete flexibility. Whether it’s hanging wind chimes from the ceiling or replacing our artwork with yours, we offer trained celebrants who tailor the service to the unique aspects of your loved one’s life.
- The value and service provided – the fact is most firms overcharge families at a time of vulnerability. Please compare our prices and read our online reviews before making a decision.
Once the cremation is complete, there are a number of available options for the final disposition of the body, including:
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Keepsakes for dividing the ashes among family members
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Biodegradable urns to help protect the environment
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Wood, marble, glass and metal urns designed to reflect the personality of your loved one
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Jewelry available that can hold a portion of the ashes
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Combination urn/vault combos for placement in a cemetery
- Specially designed urns and tubes to provide a dignified way of scattering ashes
Yes. It is important to remember that cremation does not limit the funeral in any way, and, in fact, can give a greater number of options in the remembrance of those who are no longer with us. For more information, visit the Cremation section of our website under Services.
Yes. SouthCare owns its crematories which are operated by our trained crematory technicians. Many funeral homes do not own and operate their own crematory and outsource their cremations to others, so it is important to consider the security of choosing operators with onsite capabilities.
No. Your loved one does not have to be embalmed, unless there will be a public viewing service. We do allow private identification viewings without embalming.
Yes. Pre-arranging with SouthCare Cremation and Funeral Society™ shows your intentions; however, a family member or personal representative needs to sign the required authorization for a cremation. A Healthcare Directive or Healthcare Power of Attorney is preferred. We can assist you in making arrangements if you have no survivors.
Yes. We will always allow family members, if requested, the opportunity to view the cremation. If this is your wish, when our staff places the deceased into the crematory chamber, you will be invited to view the process.
Yes. We welcome inspections. Out of respect for the other families we serve, we’ll schedule a time for you to come to the crematory when other cremations are not being performed.
We use sophisticated identification and tracking procedures including stainless steel, individually numbered identification discs and identification tags. The steel tags have our name and a cremation number stamped into them. Throughout the cremation process, the identification disc remains with the body.
Upon cremation, this steel tag is placed with the cremated remains. The cremated remains are then given to your family to be buried, scattered or kept at home. The unique identification number is listed in our files and cataloged in our databases.
The remains will be handled according to your written instructions. They may be returned to your survivors, scattered at sea or over certain designated land areas, or buried at the cemetery of your choice.
No. Urns are not required by any state or federal law; however, SouthCare has a wide selection of urns and most families choose to purchase an urn for the remains.
SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society serves the entire state of Georgia and surrounding areas and will handle arrangements if the passing occurs outside of the state. Additional fees may apply.
SouthCare is able to provide service throughout the United States in cases where burial in another state is desired. We’ll coordinate with the funeral home of your choice or assist you in finding one in the area you wish the interment to take place. Our Funeral Directors are trained to comply with state requirements for all who transfer domestically.
If the family requests to send the remains to another country for interment, SouthCare’s experienced staff is able to work with the consulate to ensure a seamless process so your wishes will be fulfilled.
Yes, SouthCare Cremation and Funeral Society honors the deceased’s wishes for eye and tissue donation.
In planning arrangements, what questions are good to consider in advance of contacting SouthCare?
Below is a selection of questions to consider:
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Are you considering cremation, traditional or green burial?
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Do you want a period of visitation prior to the service?
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Do you want an open or closed casket?
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Do you want special music?
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Do you want to have the ceremony catered?
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Do you want the ceremony at the funeral chapel, your place of worship or other venue?
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Do you want family and/or friends to participate in the ceremony?
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If cremated, what will you want to do with the ashes?
You can use SouthCare. There are no restrictions on what funeral home you use for the care and burial of your loved one. Cemeteries will work with any funeral home for the burial
A vault or outer burial container encases the casket that is used for burial. The casket is lowered into the vault at the graveside. The vault or outer burial container helps to support the ground above it and helps prevent damage to the casket. The state does not require a vault. However, each cemetery depending on their rules and regulations may require it. SouthCare can help determine if the cemetery requires a vault and we offer vaults in many cases at a much lower price than many cemeteries if one is required.
An Alternative Container is a similar shape and size of a casket but not as elaborate. They are made of different types of materials such as fiberboard, or cardboard. These containers offer a lower cost option for services such as simple cremation.
Typically it takes between 2 - 4 hours for a cremation to occur. Several factors can contribute to this such as the type of container/casket being cremated and the size of the individual.
