Grieving in good hands

This is branded content for Hastings Funerals.

HASTINGS District Funeral and Cremation Service was established in 1930 and is proudly Australian owned, caring for families in Port Macquarie and surrounding areas.

They pride themselves on their caring team of professional funeral directors, with a combined 100 years of experience between themselves, making them well equipped to plan any type of funeral.

Hastings District Funerals has its own chapel that seats 60 guests, a reflection lounge for after funeral events, and a crematorium. They also proudly maintain the most modern fleet of hearses and vehicles in the region.

This all-inclusive approach to funerals is what allows them to coordinate the entire process rather than outsource elements to third parties, a rarity in the industry.

This can be reassuring to grieving families, knowing that their loved one is in the same steady care throughout the entire affair.

They uphold the highest standard of customer service, and collectively strive to make the funeral planning process a seamless and comfortable experience for grieving families.

"Everyone is different and everyone deals with grief in their own way. There are different ways that our funeral arrangers go about gathering information, building trust with our families, and helping them through their grief.

"In the initial meeting, our funeral directors try to be upfront and supportive. They make an effort to involve all family members," said funeral director Rod McCormick.

In recent years, the funeral industry has undergone somewhat of a transformation. Modern day funerals allow families to personalise the service as much as they like, to truly reflect the life of the departed.

"We focus on building a rapport, and listening to what our families want, not simply guessing what they want. That's how we create a personalised service.

"One thing that's becoming increasingly common is the use of presentations. Families are opting to display multimedia presentations that showcase the life that was lived, and we have the technology to do that well," said Mr McCormick.

Hastings District Funerals takes a refreshing approach to end of life celebrations, acknowledging that funerals can both commemorate the life of the deceased while also helping families to cope with their grief, providing hope to loved ones.

"Our celebrants are storytellers. They can really deliver an awesome eulogy. They make a huge effort to sit down with their families and get to know them. That's one of the key contributors to how we deliver a personalised service. We deliver the life story of the deceased," said Mr McCormick.

The effects of the pandemic infiltrated every industry, but especially impacted funerals, with caps on physical attendees and geographical challenges that were exacerbated through border closures.

Hastings District Funerals reacted accordingly.

"We implemented live streaming. In this day and age it's not only useful because of COVID19, but also to allow people from different states and countries, who can't always travel, to be involved in their loved one's send off," said Mr McCormick.

"We also offer families an option to have an online memorial for their loved one. Our "Memories" online memorial allows families to create a beautiful online memorial that lasts forever and truly reflects their loved one's life," Mr McCormick said.

This is branded content for Hastings Funerals.