plan ahead and rest in peace careone
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February 23, 2012CareOne
Laurie R. Powsner, MSW, LCSWFuneral Consumers Alliance
Plan Ahead & Rest in Peace
Advance Directive/Living Will
Durable power of attorney for healthcare
Power of attorney for finances
Durable or springing
Will
Designated agent for body disposition
Funeral planning
Put your House in Order
Disposition Options Burial
– Embalming– Viewing – Casket– Cemetery plot – Marker
Cremation– Urn– Bury, scatter, jewelry, fireworks, etc.
Whole Body Donation to Medical School– Pre-arrange and have a back-up plan
Organ and Tissue Donation
Funeral and Memorial Wishes If you don’t care, say so
Who do you want involved in the planning?– Clergy– Family– Friends– Funeral Director
Service– Funeral– Graveside– Memorial– Music, readings, participants etc. – Memorial contributions
Do funeral prices scare you to death?
What’s the Problem?Most people:
– know little about death, dying & funerals
– have little idea about the costs involved
– don’t know their rights (FTC Funeral Rule)
No other business handles a customer base so uninformed and emotionally fragile
Grieving people are not in the best state of mind to make a major purchase
Is it a “helping profession”?
“Funeral directors are caregivers….listeners, advisors and supporters. They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with death. Funeral directors are trained to answer questions about grief, recognize when a person is having difficulty coping, and recommend sources of professional help.”
They may be nice, but they are business people
Funeral Directors
“What will it take to put one of you two into abrand-new Eterna-5000 today?”
Funeral Directing is a Business
Funeral homes in US: ~21,528 Employees: ~103,258 Annual revenues: ~$13 billion
In most states, there are more funeral homes than the death rate can support
Sources: U.S. Census of Service IndustriesNational Funeral Directors AssocIBISWorld
State Existing NeededIowa 476 113Nebraska 232 62North Dakota 100 24Pennsylvania1,801 506New Jersey 600 300
Source: National Center for Health Statistics
Why are so many funeral homes still in business?
What is full time work for a funeral director?
How did this happen?
Some CostsFuneral Service $7,323
plusPlot $300 – $20,000+
$1,300 (average)
plusVault $200 – $15,000+
$1,128 (average)plus
Opening & closing $350 – $1,500plus
Headstone/Marker $300 - $$$$$
Subtotal Over $10,000
There are over 21 other charges, some of which cannot be predicted, including:
Autopsy Extra embalming procedures Refrigeration Forwarding and receiving of remains Obituaries Flowers Clergy honoraria Tent and chairs at cemetery Certified copies of the death certificate Music, musicians, reception, video, dove release, etc. Crematory fee
Average funeral director charge for cremation$2,575
What the crematory charges the funeral director
Ewing Crematory$350
East Brunswick Crematory$175
Did you know? Embalming is never routinely required by state law
Embalming doesn’t preserve the body indefinitely
You can have a viewing at home
No law requires a casket or a vault for burial
No casket/vault will preserve a human body indefinitely
Funeral homes charge a non-declinable fee
Know the FTC’s Funeral Rule Prices over the phone A printed, itemized GPL No handling fee Not be present when the casket is delivered Buy a la carte A written price list before you view the caskets A written outer burial container price list A written statement before you pay Use an “alternative container” for cremation
Advance Planning
“Maybe I should have gone with cremation.”
Don’t– Unless it’s to spend down for Medicaid
Instead– Savings– POD account– Life Insurance
Pre-Paying for Funerals
What if the merchandise no longer exists? What if the funeral home was sold? Sometimes prices go down There are many items that can't be prepaid
Why not?
If you must Is your funeral contract "irrevocable"? Is 100% of prepaid money placed in trust? Is it refundable if you change your mind? Is the contract transferable if you move?
Do it Yourself
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