Financial assistance for funeral cost in Ohio?

[hlane]

Does anyone know if there are any financial assistance programs to help with the funeral cost of a low income cancer patient? My mom is in a inpatient hospice facility now and only has a couple days left at the most. She has no insurance and although we've found a funeral home that will take payments they are wanting half up front.
Losing her is so painful but now the added stress of this...I just feel sick.
My public service announcement for today is please, please, please...take out insurance while you are healthy & make arrangements prior to the time. I know it's scary & sad to think of but its so important!

 

[Belle5]

I have no advice to give about the financial assistance. (Can you ask the hospice facility?)

I just wanted to say how very sorry I am about your mom.

 

[hlane]

Thank you Belle,

My brother is going to be talking to the social worker that the facility about it today, I was just searching online in the meantime...so far I haven't found anything though.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

I'm sorry you have to deal with on top of an allready difficult time.

I didn't know if you found this in your googling: http://www.funeralsohio.org/whatfcadoes.htm Not exactly what you are looking for, but perhaps they have suggestions who to ask? (I'd imagine the hospice would too, but I understand trying to do legwork yourself too.)

I found an article also that said Ohio's Dept Health and Human services used to provide assistance, but that has now been relegated to a local level. Perhaps check with city hall?

ETA Not sure if these conditions apply, but I also found this: http://www.dignityindeathfoundation.com/index-2.html

 

[disneyfan55]

Does anyone know if there are any financial assistance programs to help with the funeral cost of a low income cancer patient? My mom is in a inpatient hospice facility now and only has a couple days left at the most. She has no insurance and although we've found a funeral home that will take payments they are wanting half up front.
Losing her is so painful but now the added stress of this...I just feel sick.
My public service announcement for today is please, please, please...take out insurance while you are healthy & make arrangements prior to the time. I know it's scary & sad to think of but its so important!

I don't know of Ohio funeral homes, but Costco has coffins for sale. I found it just by visiting the website or I would have never guessed. You can check them out

 

[Juliegirl1]

Also if you are not opposed to it, cremation is much less expensive than buying a casket and having to buy a plot. You can either keep or scatter the ashes (check local laws and regulations before doing so) or purchase a spot for an urn at a later date. Just something to keep in mind...

 

[JandJ]

I am so sorry you are going through this. Hospice is a wonderful group, although each is independent, the one we had for my daddy is amazing!

Like a PP stated, if you're not opposed to it, cremation is much less expensive, but there are many options there as well. My mom died unexpectedly and we went through a local funeral home for the cremation and it was $3k, not much less than a traditional burial. When we knew the time was close for my daddy I started researching cremation facilities and I found a place that is very "no frills" and it was $500. Not having that $3k burden at that time did help. For both of my parents their church held a funeral mass, not an official funeral, but a mass with readings chosen and read by our family. They did that for only the cost of a donation. We had a lovely scattering at sea service for both of my parents (all done very legally) about a year after my daddy passed.

 

[NotUrsula]

I am very sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, financial assistance from charities, etc. is very hard to find; they tend to prefer to use their resources on the living.

I have a suggestion, though it can be a controversial one. I do not intend to stir up a debate with this, but the poster needs help, so I'm going to talk about an ugly reality. If anyone is offended for any reason, I apologize in advance.

OP, if you are white, please ask your hospice's social worker about minority-owned funeral homes. It's an odd quirk of the industry that the funeral business is one of the most racially segregated in existence, and most hospital and hospice social workers don't rock the boat when it comes to this situation. They know which businesses serve whiich populations, and they generally will only give you the names that match your demographic, unless you specifically tell them that you want them all. As a general rule, minority-owned funeral homes are much more willing to work with families on payment and on ways to economize on their services. When I had to make arrangements after my brother's unexpected death, I found that they were much more reasonably priced, but the social worker at the VA was VERY reluctant to give those names to a white woman, because she was afraid that I was going to get very insulted. (The staff at the mortuary I used were very gracious, though initially a little surprised to be hearing from me.)

Remember that if your father was a veteran and has predeceased her, your mother may be entitled to be buried with him in a VA cemetary. The VA will not normally conduct a service for a civilian, but you would not have to pay for a plot, a vault, or a headstone. http://www.cem.va.gov/bbene/eligible.asp

If you are willing to do a direct cremation, contact the crematorium directly, rather than go through a funeral home. In most states crematorium operators are licensed to transport remains. (They may not be listed in the phone book or listed online. Call your state licensing board to find out how to contact them.) Very few funeral homes can do their own cremations; they contract out the work, so you are paying them an additional fee to make the arrangements. Once the cremation has been done, the funeral arrangements can be taken care of directly at your church, and you can transport the cremains yourself. (If you are scattering the ashes, you don't need to buy an urn, either; you can just use a nice box that you purchase anywhere you like.)

 

[Belle5]

I am very sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, financial assistance from charities, etc. is very hard to find; they tend to prefer to use their resources on the living.

I have a suggestion, though it can be a controversial one. I do not intend to stir up a debate with this, but the poster needs help, so I'm going to talk about an ugly reality. If anyone is offended for any reason, I apologize in advance.

OP, if you are white, please ask your hospice's social worker about minority-owned funeral homes. It's an odd quirk of the industry that the funeral business is one of the most racially segregated in existence, and most hospital and hospice social workers don't rock the boat when it comes to this situation. They know which businesses serve whiich populations, and they generally will only give you the names that match your demographic, unless you specifically tell them that you want them all. As a general rule, minority-owned funeral homes are much more willing to work with families on payment and on ways to economize on their services. When I had to make arrangements after my brother's unexpected death, I found that they were much more reasonably priced, but the social worker at the VA was VERY reluctant to give those names to a white woman, because she was afraid that I was going to get very insulted. (The staff at the mortuary I used were very gracious, though initially a little surprised to be hearing from me.)

Remember that if your father was a veteran and has predeceased her, your mother may be entitled to be buried with him in a VA cemetary. The VA will not normally conduct a service for a civilian, but you would not have to pay for a plot, a vault, or a headstone. http://www.cem.va.gov/bbene/eligible.asp

If you are willing to do a direct cremation, contact the crematorium directly, rather than go through a funeral home. In most states crematorium operators are licensed to transport remains. (They may not be listed in the phone book or listed online. Call your state licensing board to find out how to contact them.) Very few funeral homes can do their own cremations; they contract out the work, so you are paying them an additional fee to make the arrangements. Once the cremation has been done, the funeral arrangements can be taken care of directly at your church, and you can transport the cremains yourself. (If you are scattering the ashes, you don't need to buy an urn, either; you can just use a nice box that you purchase anywhere you like.)

I think this is INCREDIBLY helpful information--maybe not for the OP, but for others. No one should be offended by this. Thanks for posting.

 

[Hannathy]

It may be to late to arrange it but you can also donate your body to science/med school.

You can also have a much cheaper funeral than the funeral home will try to sell you. You don't need all the frills. One way to save money is to not go to the cemetery. just have the service then you don't need an escort, limo, etc. You can also ask to be shown the least expensive caskets available they won't show you these unless you directly ask. Ask for an itemized breakdown and only select the things you really have to have. There are lots of extras added that can be done without.

 

[GoofyGolferGirl]

In KY they have something called a "Spend Down" program, not sure how it works but it is a government program and I would think it is a federal program. A friend of mine passed and had no family except 2 teenage children and we asked the funeral home if we could make a donation and they said they were doing a spend down program. I would check with several funeral homes. With that said, your mom and family will be in my prayers.

 

[Tink-aholic]

Also, look carefully at the funeral home's payment plan. When my MIL died in August, they offered payments, but at 13%.

Good luck to you and I hope your mother's passing is as painless as possible.

 

[EthansMom]

I agree with the poster who recommended contacting a local agency about donating her remains. Even if they can't/won't take her remains for a donation, they may offer a low-cost cremation.

My MIL recently went through this with her father. The donation facility cremated his remains for much less money than anywhere else.

I wish you the best.

 

[hlane]

My beautiful mama peacefully went to be with Jesus at 2:24am this morning in her sleep. I will miss her so, so much but after seeing her fight this horrible disease for 12 years I am relieved she is no longer in pain and suffering.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

peaceful thoughts and prayers to you.

 

[bunny213]

and prayers for your whole family

 

[taximomfor4]

I am so sorry for your loss.

As for funeral cost assistance, I have a feeling you won't find anything in Ohio. My father passed away last year, and stepmom knew right off the bat that the house would be foreclosed and she'd have to declare bankruptcy. They were paycheck to paycheck with BOTH incomes. No social security, no pension, no life insurance.

She had the funeral at her church (AGAINST his express wishes), which may have cost something, not sure. She had the wake and the reception at their home, in their large back yard (what he wanted). Ladies from her church had refreshements at the reception, but otherwise we all brought party trays, beverages, etc. She had dad cremated (very inexpensive), and got a container from Pat Catan's instead of purchasing an urn ($14 instead of $200 or more). She is not having his ashes buried, so no purchasing a cemetary plot or stone. All in all, she paid the donation to the church (a few hundred maybe?), the cremation fee (don't remember how much but very little), and the $14 container from Pat Catan's. She wants us to stick his ashes into her casket when she dies, but if we can get away with it, we'll bury him in his own grave. So EVENTUALLY, we will have to pay more but that will be because we choose to.

If it had been possible to get assistance, stepmom would have jumped on it. Instead, she did it like she did -- so that leads me to believe that there is probably nothing out there.

If your mom had a church, talk to them about a funeral. I think they mostly do it on donations, but can probably work with you on the amount. A headstone can wait, for years even.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss. Know that you don't have to do everything in a big way to get closure from it. Dad wanted his funeral to just be in his yard, everyone who wanted to share stories, thoughts, poems, whatever just taking a turn and doing so...and then all sharing a shot and a beer, toasting him.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

I'm so very sorry you lost your mom.

Please try to take comfort in the fact that she's no longer suffering.

 

[crisi]

My deepest sympathies.

 

[mikamah]

I am so sorry for the loss of your mom. I lost my mom this year too, and it is so hard and such an overwhelming time. Remember to take care of yourself too. My thoughts are with you.