The After Cremation Process
What is direct cremation?
Direct cremation means the body of your loved one is cremated in the days immediately following the death, without a viewing or funeral service beforehand. Direct cremations provide an affordable and timely alternative to traditional burials.
How long does the cremation process take?
The overall process takes less than two weeks, usually much sooner. This includes taking your loved one into our care, gathering all required authorizations, the cremation and the return of cremated remains via USPS. It is important to note that the receipt of death certificates may take longer due to timing to receive certification from doctors. Under unusual circumstances, this timeline may be extended.
How do I request After’s services?
Our services are available entirely online. In addition, you can request our services by calling us
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Our dedicated staff is available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have via email or phone. You can request service now online.
What information do I need to request After’s services?
Requesting our services is very easy and takes less than five minutes online. There are only a few key pieces of information needed to request our services. If your loved one is under hospice care, passed away in a hospital, or law enforcement is on scene, it is best to have them contact us directly to ensure their information matches ours.
Why does the location of my loved one matter?
Some locations require two people to take your loved one into our care. In addition, After only serves certain counties. We restrict our service areas to ensure we can provide high quality care at the most affordable of prices.
Why are you asking me about the weight of my loved one?
We ask about weight to ensure that we have the appropriate number of staff for transport. Our priority is to safely bring your loved one into our care. Your best guess is sufficient and an over-estimation is preferable to an under-estimation. There is no additional charge for the weight of your loved one.
Taking Your Loved One into Our Care
Is embalming required?
No. In fact, After does not offer the services of embalming. However, your loved one is placed in a dignified, climate-controlled environment within 24 hours per Arizona law.
What should I do when my loved one passes away?
1. Unless your loved one is on hospice, at a hospital or other care facility with licensed staff, call 911.
2. Once emergency personnel have arrived and have been informed of the situation, call After and we will explain what will happen next.
Call Us • (24/7)
If your loved one passed at home under hospice care or at a care facility, have a member of their staff contact After. They will provide us with the information we need and a member of our After Care Team will immediately respond to bring your loved one into our care. Typically within an hour.
If your loved one passes at home and is not under the care of hospice, please contact the police.
If your loved one has passed in a hospital or is at a Medical Examiner’s office, please let the institution know that you have chosen After as your provider. Once they are ready to release your loved one into our care, they will contact us.
We will then contact you as soon as we have your loved one in our care. See more information on After’s services and processes.
How long before my loved one needs to be taken into After’s care?
If your loved one is at home when they pass, you can be at home with them up to 24 hours before they need to be taken into our care. This also applies to most care centers and hospice facilities, but you should confirm with an administrator at that facility.
If your loved one is at a hospital when they pass, we will bring your loved one into our care as soon as the hospital contacts After and authorizes release.
Who will be arriving to bring my loved one into your care?
A member of the After team will bring your loved one into our care and transport them to our facility. Our staff is dependable, highly trained and compassionate.
Will your staff arrive in a hearse?
No, our staff will arrive in a discreet van and will be dressed in professional attire.
What kind of information will your staff ask for?
When you request After's direct cremation services through our website or by phone, we gather the most pressing information we need to bring your loved one into our care: Name of your loved one, address of their current location, your name, your relationship to your loved one, your phone number, and estimated weight of your loved one. If family is present when our care team arrives to bring your loved one into our care, we will verify the information already received about your loved one, confirm next-of-kin, and a few additional details / any special requests.
What will happen when your staff leaves?
Your loved one will be transported to our care facility where they will be safely held until the cremation takes place. We will always communicate next steps, timing and additional information required to proceed with the cremation process.
