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