CHAPTER 13

The Modern Day Funeral Home

The First Call

• The first call which informs the funeral director of the death can come from:– Family– Friends– Nursing Home– Coroner– Most calls come from someone other

than a family member.

Death at Home

• The book says that a death the occurs in the home is usually a traumatic one. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

The Funeral Director

• How do you think a family would react to you if they know you as a funeral director?

• How would you react to them?

Services

• Contact a priest for a Catholic service.

• Contact a rabbi for a Jewish service.

• Contact a minister or pastor for a Protestant service.

Caskets

• The book says that the place where caskets are shown are casket showrooms. What are some better names for it that don’t imply that we’re used car salesmen?

Concepts

• The Whole Man Total funeral concept says that one person does it all, with no limitations. Example a WMT funeral day may consist of embalming, funeral directing, counseling, and d.c. running.

• The Owner-manager-Technician concept divides out what each person does. Example- only 1 person embalms and only 1 person directs funerals.

Pricing Methods

• Single Unit- The price of the casket includes the casket, services, and facilities of the establishment. What is potentially wrong with this method?

• Bi-Unit- The family is charged for services and facilities, and a separate charge for the casket. What is potentially wrong with this method?

• Tri-Unit- There are three charges.– Services– facilities– casket

• Multi-Unit- Everything is priced individually.

• Which of these methods is required by the FTC?

• FTC requires that at least the multi-unit pricing method be used.

• Refer to page 362 in the book to see the requirements.

• Under the rule, itemization allows for the selection of components of the funeral or alternatives to “build” what is desired.

• Packages can be offered, but they must be on the General Price List, along With the itemized prices of services and use of the facilities as stated previously.

• How does this protect the consumers?

• Does it protect the funeral home?

• 75% of all final dispositions are below or above ground (mausoleum) burials of the remains.

• Therefore cremations compose 25% or the final dispositions.

• This is in no way correlative to individual states.

• That is the difference between a memorial Service and a funeral service?– “Funeral Ceremony”= A service

commemorating the deceased with the body present.

– “Memorial Service”= A ceremony commemorating the deceased without the body present.

• What then would be an “Immediate Burial” ?– The disposition of deceased human

remains without formal viewing, visitation, or ceremony with the body present, except for a graveside service.

– Would you encourage a family to have an immediate burial for any other reason than funding for the funeral?

• “Direct Cremation”– The disposition of deceased human

remains by cremation without formal viewing, visitation, or ceremony with the body present.

– What about an I.D. viewing because of all the “media” problems surrounding cremation these days?

The Future-An Overview• More deaths will occur at places

other than where the funeral will take place.

• Deaths will reach 2.6 million in 2010 (3 years) and to 3.4 million in 2030.

• Hospice may help” turnaround” Some who might deny death by witnessing a death.

• Black will continue to be less used by mourners and funeral directors – change to white?

The Future-An Overview• The Mass of Christian burial will

continue to encourage verbalized participation in the Wake and or funeral.

• Families will want to revert to Some of the practices that were practically abandoned - (Staying at the graveside until the Casket is toward).

• Displaying memorabilia including pictures of the life of the deceased in the room of the funeral or service.

The Future-An Overview• Options involving a funeral Service

with the body present and alternatives in which the body is not present are post-death activity variants.

• Many mine people will be involved prearranging and pretending of funerals.

• The availability or the funeral director and the “small things”, will become more of a pull to families than cost or savings alone.

The Future-An Overview• More and mine funeral directors

are now being educated on cremation products, airline services, computers, pre-need plans, insurance, investment management, financial planners, and aftercare services.

The Future-An Overview• The hallmark for American funeral

service and its Survival in the 21st century is to care for the dead and to serve the living in away that enhances the dignity of humankind.

• This must be done by meeting the needs of the deceased and as those who mourn before death, at the time of death and for an extended period thereafter.

The Future-An Overview• This is the end of the material from

the book…

• You are now free to burn it as quickly as possible.

• More seriously…

Thank you So much for all of your attentiveness and for your friendship… You have been an “AWESOME” class.