January 2022

Page A8 JANUARY 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A By Linda Findlay Aftercare The many conversations I have had with families prove to me that their needs continue and their loyalty to a specific funeral home is unwavering. They perceive the experience they had with the funeral home as valuable, and it is my belief that and this was due to aftercare. New loss triggers previous loss…life changes, jobs are lost, the Covid pandemic happens…there are so many reasons why people experience upsurges of grief and still need support. I talked to a mom who lost her son many years ago. She called to check in and to tell me that her mother was on hospice and not expected to live more than a week. She ex- plained that she had planned a trip overseas and was de- parting in a few days. She made the agonizing decision to go on the trip, despite her mother’s impending death. She shared that she had instructed her funeral director not to contact her if her mother passes away while she is away. I can only image how difficult that must be for her – but it does make sense – there is nothing she could do and her mother is a direct cremation. She talked to me about how the impending death of her mother has brought up many feelings of grief over the loss of her son years ago! At the conclusion of our visit, she said that she was going to have the funeral home plan a service of remembrance when she returns – despite others in the family saying there is no need to use a funeral home, other than taking care of the cremation – to plan a celebration of life. She told me that she would have it no other way! Her funeral home has supported her – through aftercare – for so many years. I have another family calling on me to help with the emo- tions they are experiencing because of the impending death of their mother. Their mom has stated many times that she wants a direct cremation. Everyone has been telling them they don’t need a funeral home. When they tell extend- ed relatives and close friends the plans for their mom, the family is encouraged to plan their own celebration of life at a special place in town. But the family insists that the funeral home will take care of everything, specifically because of the care provided for years through their af- tercare program. This is all very thought provoking for me and should be for my beloved funeral industry! Today, more than ever, aftercare is so important! Too many people do not see the value of funeral service. I know I am the “aftercare” person, but the indus- try as a whole has to look at ways to support families in a manner of which families experience the value of their services. Training and education in best practices in aftercare can be a valuable investment. Knowledge is power and can help you develop a robust aftercare pro- gram that has a personal touch and is resource rich, or- ganized, affordable and provided for at least a year after the loss. It never ceases to amaze me how long and how far af- tercare efforts reach. What I mean is, I have families who still call me months and years later! I have people who call me who talked to a family that was served by one of my funeral homes, asking if they can receive the resources that we provide. I have fulfilled the role of “Aftercare Coordinator” for so many years, I am con- necting with families for a second and third time and beyond! It is more common than ever that people are calling me, out of the blue, because of a friend of a friend who found our support helpful and recommend- ed they call me. I will never turn down a family – I will provide the support for as long as there is a need! I am continually grateful for the funeral homes who have entrusted me with the care of their families con- sistently, year after year! Not only does this prove their commitment to the level of care that all grieving fami- lies deserve, it proves to a family, through a positive and helpful experience, that the care they receive goes way beyond taking care of mom or dad or a loved one at the time of their death! Aftercare is so important. When providing an aftercare program, your efforts are most rewarding by providing that care year after year. If a funeral director has talked to me about aftercare and tells me that their firm will consider trying it out for a year, I flat out tell them, please don’t waste your money! The first important point is, Aftercare has to be a long term, consistent service that is provided to grieving fam- ilies. Secondly, all things that are called “aftercare” are not. So be very careful with all of the offerings in the in- dustry that sound like great aftercare. Many companies offer aftercare as a free bonus with one of their other products sold to funeral homes. Remember the old say- ing, “you get what you pay for.” When it comes to after- care, connecting with families and providing meaning- ful support, for the long haul, is real aftercare. Linda Findlay is the founder of Mourning Discoveries, Grief Support Services. She is a 29-year career Aftercare Coordinator, a published author, and an advocate for bereaved families. She is the founder and co-creator of The Grief Cruises and manag - ing partner with The International Grief Institute. Linda can be reached at 315-725-6132 or Lf6643@yahoo.com. Visit www.mourningdiscoveries.com, www.thegriefcruises.com or www.internationalgriefinstitute.com. F U N E R A L H O M E & C E M E T E R Y N E W S w w w . N o m i s P u b l i c a t i o n s . c o m Monthly Columns online at Returning friends to the earth not the sewer New Alkaline Hydrolysis 2.0 Systems Pet System $39,900 Human System $140,000 (720)571.9368 * firelesscremation.com PORTLAND,ME— David Morgan, president of Brooklawn Memorial Park, has acquired an ownership position as the president of the recently launched Mile- stone Cemetery and Crematory Company. This part- nership also includes Milestone Cemetery and Crema- tory acquiring Brooklawn Memorial Park. As part of his new role, David will also continue as president of Brook- lawn managing all aspects of the business. Morgan grew up in the cemetery industry under the tute- lage of his father, William“Bill”Morgan, who served as ex- ecutive vice president of Sharon Memorial Park and Knoll- wood Memorial Park in Massachusetts for three decades. In 1995, David saw the opportunity to serve a community as he learned from his father, and he purchased Brooklawn Memorial Park in Portland, ME. Under David’s ownership Brooklawn Memorial Park has undergone dramatic growth, particularly in the crematory and cremation memorializa- tion areas. His efforts have included enhanced customer ser- vice and the forging strong relationships with the funeral home professionals in Cumberland and York counties. “Brooklawn has been successful due to our incredibly dedicated team. They truly care about the cemetery and David Morgan Named President of The Newly Formed Milestone Cemetery and Crematory LLC David Morgan our customers,” says Da- vid. “Working with Todd, Judy, Jami and the rest of the Brooklawn team, we have built a customer- first, caring culture, and that’s the same type of cul- ture that we’ll seek to de- velop in the cemeteries and crematories that choose to partner with us.” In addition to investing in the Brooklawn team, David has made continuous facili- ty and operational improve- ments, as well, including development and imple- menting a state-of-the-art crematory operating system and pioneering a cemetery flower placement service. Brooklawn is in the midst of major reinvestments, including a 2,000-square- foot addition to the crema- tory, the addition of a new cremator, enhanced funer- al home unloading areas, and technological upgrades to existing equipment. The company also recently add- ed a cremation garden and completed an exterior re- paving project. A fully re- designed website and virtu- al customer experience is forthcoming later this year. Beyond his leadership in the cemetery profession, Da- vid is widely known for his successful career in healthcare administration. He earned an MBA from Boston Uni- versity Graduate School of Management and has worked at senior levels in healthcare systems across the east coast. His experience includes strategic planning, operations improvement, and restructuring to recover from bank- ruptcy. In this last capacity, he served as interim CEO to implement the turnaround. David served as co-chair of the Healthcare and Public Health Sector for the De- partment of Homeland Security where he helped develop programs for Pandemic Planning and enhanced Public- Private Sector communication. Milestone Cemetery and Crematory is a privately owned, and separately held cemetery ownership com- pany specializing in suburban and mid-sized rural mar- kets. Milestone provides owners considering succession, retirement, or recapitalization with flexible equity op- tions due to their private equity backed structure. While entirely separate, the company shares the core values, strategies, and vision of Milestone Funeral Partners. For more information visit www.brooklawnmp.com or www.milestonefuneralpartners.com, or visit them on Facebook or Linkedin. Scan QR for our website 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Mortuary Coolers starting at $4,499 ry Coolers Try it FREE Today! Pay Us ONLY If You Decide to KEP it! 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