March 2017

Page A28

MARCH 2017

FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS

S ec t i on A

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Are we educating the public as effectively

as we should be?

By Vernie R. Fountain

Vernie R. Fountain

The funeral service industry offers a variety of out-

standing products and services. From innovation in

technology that brings loved ones together for virtual

services to earth-friendly methods of burial, the means

by which we honor our deceased are evolving. In the

midst of change, funeral service has its challenges and a

change of mindset is necessary to meet the demands of

consumers. It seems that more and more, whether due

to emotional, physical or financial concerns, people are

becoming more focused

on cremation. For the re-

cord, I am not anti-crema-

tion. Not by a long shot.

It’s direct cremation with

no viewing of the body

that bothers me.

Read on, and I will tell

you why.

For several years I’ve had

a growing concern that fu-

neral service is out of fo-

cus regarding our profes-

sional existence. When

a loved one dies, fami-

lies come to us for guid-

ance. We are not here to

sell, we are not here to

rush the process; we are

here to listen, to counsel,

and to educate families as

to their options for a final

goodbye. There are no do-

overs. In my opinion, the

opportunity to view the

deceased in an identifi-

able state, surrounded by

friends, loved ones, me-

mentos and memorabilia

is an option that should

never, ever be left out of

the conversation.

Step back for a second

and ponder this question:

Does the family really

need your funeral home? I

extend a challenge to the

readers of this article. Sit

down with the staff at your

facility and make a list of

every service you provide

for families. List them all,

from the smallest to the

greatest. Once the list is

finished, ask yourself this

question: Which of these

many services provided by

my funeral home could a

family do for itself? Could

a friend or a third party

agent complete these tasks

for a family without re-

taining my funeral home?

From here, go down

the list and draw a line

through each service that

families can do without

you. When you have com-

pleted this task you will

most likely find that, un-

less state law allows other-

wise, the only two servic-

es you provide that no one

else can are embalming

and reconstructive surgery

with the goal of viewing.

In my opinion, these services are the foundation of our

expertise and we should focus on how we can do them

better. We need to more effectively train our funeral ar-

rangers and pre-need counselors to convey the values of

viewing to loved ones because they are about to see the

body, and say goodbye, for the very last time. We are

the death care expert in our communities, and make no

mistake, this is an enormous responsibility. The family

is totally dependent upon our skill and expertise once

the heart and breathing stops, and soul has left its body.

Doctors, attorneys, EMTs, firemen and police can’t do

what we do. No one but a caring, trained, licensed fu-

neral professional can step in and take it from there. For

that matter, few want to. But we do. Our compassion is

the reason we walk toward the dead rather than run the

other direction. It’s the force that led us to the funeral

profession in the first place.

We aren’t nearly as focused as we should be on edu-

cating the public about death, dying and funeral op-

tions before the need arises. On a near daily basis I talk

to people who say, “I just want to be cremated.” When

I query them further, I learn that many of these people

don’t look at cremation as a method of final disposition

of the body; instead it’s replacement for a funeral cer-

emony. We need to make sure that we educate the pub-

lic that cremation is certainly an option, but that it is

only a form of final disposition. I believe as profession-

als we need to help families consider the interval be-

tween death and final disposition – the time of grief, re-

membrance and adjustment to the idea that life is about

to move forward with an empty space.

With this in mind, I extend another challenge: Do

a random internet search for funeral home websites.

Pretend you are a consumer, your child has died, and

that you’re searching for funeral options. How many

websites mention the value of visitation and viewing

prior to final disposition? I think you’ll find that most

funeral home sites offer far more information about

direct cremation than about navigating through grief,

comfort and closure. It is my opinion that educating

the public about all aspects of funeral service is a wise

investment in our future.

CONTINUED ON PAGE A31

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