Joining up dying to funerals
It was very good to hear yesterday from Donna Belk, a home funeral pioneer and enabler in Texas. How I like that term 'home funeral' -- preferable by far to the UK term 'DIY funeral' with all its associations of bodge, muddle, panic and a late night visit from the emergency electrician.
Not that many people in the UK sideline the deathcare professionals and arrange their own funerals. A lot of the early natural death zeal seems to have subsided. In the US the movement is healthy and, it seems, in good hands. "The home funeral movement." says Donna, "is definitely gaining more attention." See here.
She goes on to say: "Some people view it as an extension to hospice. We've had quite a bit of success in introducing it to hospice organizations in our area."
I'd love to know more about how UK hospices are joining up end of life care to funeral planning, and empowering carers. I am hoping that someone at St Christopher's, who have questioned whether funerals are 'the missing link in palliative care', is going to ring me up and tell me.
Watch this space, enjoy the videos -- and thank you for writing in, Donna.
Labels: home funerals
posted by Charles Cowling at
14:57
2 Comments:
In my humble opinion, funerals as we have them today, in the UK really do break the link in hospice/home care.
What people really need to do is pre-plan, so that when the time comes, there isn't the need to 'crisis' buy.
It is perfectly possible to do so much death care - alongside the dying care at home in this country. We are without a lot of the restrictions that folk face in the US and other places.
Funeral directors do exist who will help to supply coffins, give advice on burial at home, or, if you would prefer, several 'Green/Woodland Burial' sites operate throughout the UK.
It's a question of taking charge and making your own decisions actually - that's all.
Crisis buying from a Funeral Director may be an easy way out sometimes. The truth of a death is - that it hurts. It may be, that it hurts so much that the last thing you want to do is practical stuff. Getting someone else to do it helps.
The point is, that there are choices. Think about them while you are still upright and well. Talk to people, tell them what you want as a funeral...
Green or pinstripe - the choice is there for either or a mixture of.
Whatever rocks your cardboard box!
Interesting. In the US not many people do their own "home funerals". I have heard of the topic growing interest, but the idea is not very popular yet.
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