Continuing Care Program

Bonney-Watson Funeral Home doesn’t stop caring for our families after the funeral. In fact, our professional services continue with a unique aftercare program that stays in touch, with all our families, for at least a year after the death. We have trained professionals that are experienced in handling special cases, such as the death of a child , and will assist you through many of the necessary duties that must be completed. 

We provide a checklist as your guide and we start you in our Continuing Care Series which includes a series of four booklets on grief. You will receive the books at different intervals and they are designed to help you understand the normal grieving process at each interval. In addition, we will also provide you with local grief resources that you may find helpful. 

The families that have experienced our aftercare program have told us that they find it very helpful in their grieving and healing process.

 A Useful Checklist… 

After The Loss of a Loved One

Points to discuss with family, your attorney, or executor: 

• Filing of all life insurance claims. 
• Updating bank accounts, credit cards, loans and financial portfolios. 
• Changing auto and property titles. 
• Contacting Social Security to change benefits and file for death benefit. 
• Contacting the Veteran’s Administration and/or Railroad Retirement, if applicable. 
• Contacting place of employment or union about possible benefits. 

Assistance available through our funeral home: 

• Grief Recovery resources. 
• Additional Death Certificates (These will be needed for settling insurance claims, etc.). 
• Additional Acknowledgement Cards. 
• Help completing VA benefit forms. 
• Helping you make your own prearrangements. 
• Marker selection and engraving. 
• Additional cemetery information. 

Helpful instructions and useful phone numbers: 

• Contacting Social Security
  The number for the Social Security Administration office is (800) 772-1213. Benefits include a one-time benefit to the surviving spouse or dependent children. If applying for benefits other than death, you may need a birth certificate and/or marriage license. 
• Regarding Banking Information
  Make a prompt request for release from each bank or financial institution in which the deceased and you held a joint account. This is necessary before you can withdraw funds from that account. The bank will tell you what forms you may need to sign. 
• About Titles, Deeds, and Regulations
  Before you change the deed on the property and remove the deceased’s name, check with local officials where the property is located. You’ll need a copy of the Death Certificate for this process. The same is true for changing titles and registrations on vehicles. 
• Gathering bills and credit obligations
  Do a thorough job gathering outstanding bills and credit obligations, like loans and credit cards. In some cases with installment loans and credit cards, you may be covered by credit life insurance, which will pay off the account balance in the event of the death. 
• Review your own insurance needs
  With the passing of a spouse or other loved one, your insurance needs may change. You don’t want to be over insured or underinsured. Talk to a trusted advisor about what is appropriate and make the necessary adjustments.