Brookfield, Wis. – When a loved one dies under tragic circumstances, some families choose to not have a funeral. They may be embarrassed and worried what others will think due to how their loved one died. Regardless of how someone died, there are, very often, memories worth commemorating. The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has released the two public service announcements (PSA) that encourage families to memorialize their loved ones, regardless of how they died. These PSAs are part of NFDA’s RememberingALife.com consumer outreach and education initiative. When someone dies of an overdose, it can lead to strong emotions, especially among children. The PSA “When a Parent Dies of an Overdose” shows that having a funeral gives the family, particularly children, an opportunity to remember their loved one and the good times they had. Families may not always agree with the life decisions made by a loved one, especially if they involve illegal activity. The second PSA, “Remembering A Good Friend Who Made Bad Decisions,” discusses the importance of coming together to reflect on a loved one’s entire life history and remembering happier times. “It’s important to remember that the circumstances under which someone dies do not define who he or she was as a person. Every life is worth remembering,” said NFDA President Chuck Bowman, CMSP, CFSP, CCO. “Funerals are a time for those grieving a loss to share their grief and commemorate the life of the person they knew and loved.” These PSAs are the first in a series that will address the value of meaningful funerals and the role of the funeral director. The first two PSAs were created by NFDA through a grant from the Funeral Service Foundation. Why Address Tragic Deaths?Unfortunately, each year, thousands of people from all walks of life die under tragic circumstances, such as an overdose, suicide, violence or accidental death. Families may experience a wide range of emotions, ranging from shock, numbness and anger to guilt and helplessness. It may be difficult to talk about the death with others. As a result, they may feel compelled to quickly move on and try to forget about the death and their grief. They may feel, given the circumstances of the death, that a funeral is inappropriate. However, in most cases, relatives and friends want to be able to show support and help console those who are grieving and struggling with the death. While many families think of funerals as for the deceased, funerals are, in fact, for the living – to allow time for family and friends to share their grief. This type of gathering is important regardless of how an individual dies, but takes on greater significance when a death is tragic. A funeral director can help plan a tribute that beautifully reflects the life of the person the family knew and loved. Using the PSAs in the CommunityNFDA is sharing the public service announcements with consumers on the RememberingALife.com website and social media sites. There is also information on RememberingALife.com about how families can work with a funeral director to commemorate the life of someone who dies tragically. The PSAs are also available to NFDA members for use in their community, such as by posting them on a funeral home website, sharing them on social media, using them as part of a community presentations or working with your local or cable TV channel to run the spots as public service announcements. Funeral professionals can view the PSAs by visiting the NFDA website, www.nfda.org (click the “Resources” tab at the top of the page and select “Public & Community Relations”; then, from the menu on the left side of the page, click on “Community Relations” and select “Tragic Death Resources”). Funeral directors who are interested in using these PSAs in their community should call NFDA at 800-228-6332 and ask to speak with a member of the marketing department. NFDA has also created a new consumer brochure, “Every Life Deserves a Tribute,” which reinforces the importance of a meaningful funeral when a death occurs under tragic circumstances. The brochure can be ordered online, www.nfda.org/store, or by calling NFDA at 800-228-6332. NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org. The post NFDA Addresses Tragic Deaths in New Public Service Announcements appeared first on Connecting Directors. NFDA Addresses Tragic Deaths in New Public Service Announcements published first on YouTube via Tumblr NFDA Addresses Tragic Deaths in New Public Service Announcements
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BATESVILLE, Ind., March 25, 2019 – Batesville, the leading provider of high quality products and technology solutions to today’s death care professionals, is proud to sponsor the keynote address by leadership expert Drew Dudley at the 2019 International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) Annual Convention and Exposition, April 3 – 5 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company will also host a free book signing with the author immediately following the address. The founder and chief catalyst of One Day Leadership, Dudley has spent the last 15 years helping individuals and organizations increase their leadership capacity. He believes leadership is not reserved for the extraordinary, but is a daily choice that should be fostered, acknowledged and rewarded. His keynote address, “Creating Cultures of Leadership and the Power of Lollipop Moments,” Thursday, April 4, 2019, from 11 a.m. – noon ET will make you laugh, think and reconsider how you evaluate leadership in your life and workplace. “Drew Dudley has inspired millions with his practical wisdom and humor,” said Chris Trainor, president of Batesville. “He has a unique ability to help us understand how simple acts – things we do every day – can make the lives of others better. This is a great message for everyone, and especially funeral professionals who provide comfort and support to families during their most difficult times.” Dudley will sign copies of his book, “This is Day One: A Practical Guide to Leadership that Matters,” in the Batesville booth (724) from noon to 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 4. The first 100 people will receive a free copy of the book. Today’s consumers have different expectations about personalization that encompasses their entire funeral experience. Batesville will showcase a variety of new burial and cremation products, personalization and memorialization offerings and digital solutions designed to help families plan meaningful funerals, share memories and remember their loved ones. Some of the highlights include:
Funeral professionals can schedule a 20-minute technology demonstration in advance by visiting https://www.batesville.com/2019-iccfa-demos/. Participants will receive a small gift at the end of the presentation and may also be eligible to win a $25 gift card. The company will also preview a new LifeStories accessories feature that allows families to create truly custom medallions for their loved ones using personal photos or stock imagery that represent their loved one’s hobbies, achievements or interests. Visitors can participate in live demos to see how the process works, from start to finish, and create their own display medallion. This feature is in test markets now and will be available in all markets this summer. Be sure to mark your calendars for these special events:
ABOUT BATESVILLE Batesville The post Batesville Sponsors Keynote Speaker Drew Dudley and Hosts Free Book Signing at ICCFA appeared first on Connecting Directors. Batesville Sponsors Keynote Speaker Drew Dudley and Hosts Free Book Signing at ICCFA published first on YouTube via Tumblr Batesville Sponsors Keynote Speaker Drew Dudley and Hosts Free Book Signing at ICCFA 4 people on one web show…this episode has personality! The FN boys introduce a huge funeral and cemetery financial service partnership between The Foresight Companies and Roosevelt Wealth Management. They also talk about a huge funeral home lawsuit spanning four years that was finally settled this week, further reinforcing the need for a revamp of current industry training habits. Title sponsor: C&J Financial – http://www.cjf.com/ Sponsors: The post A HUGE FUNERAL AND CEMETERY FINANCIAL SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENT | FUNERAL nation 148 appeared first on Connecting Directors. A HUGE FUNERAL AND CEMETERY FINANCIAL SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENT | FUNERAL nation 148 published first on YouTube via Tumblr A HUGE FUNERAL AND CEMETERY FINANCIAL SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENT | FUNERAL nation 148 If you haven’t seen with your own eyes, funeral pro… the families of today are changing. And as we move forward into these changes together, it’s important to see where you stand. Do you need to refresh yourself with what families are asking for on a nation-wide level? Or are you completely up-to-date, and even […] The post A Quiz For Funeral Pros: How Well Do You Know Today’s Client Families? appeared first on funeralOne Blog. A Quiz For Funeral Pros: How Well Do You Know Today’s Client Families? published first on YouTube via Tumblr A Quiz For Funeral Pros: How Well Do You Know Today’s Client Families? There’s a lot to think about when you’re managing a funeral business. Between expenses, marketing, and day-to-day operations, reassessing your company’s legal structure might be about as far down on your to-do list as possible. But there’s a new type of business designation you might not have heard of or considered yet, and it could be a major asset for the death care industry: the B Corporation, or B Corp. What is a B Corp?As stated on the certifying board’s official website, “B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.” They’re firms that work towards “reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high quality jobs with dignity and purpose” — all while still turning a profit. The B Corp movement started a little over a decade ago, when a small group of friends left jobs in business and private equity to start the certifying organization (B Lab); the first 19 companies were certified in 2007. The B Corp designation is both a legal business structure and an honorific. Bearing the certification demonstrates that your company is “using business as a force for good,” a promise that’s backed up with its stringent, third-party analysis of your firm’s policies. Among other factors, the B Lab looks at “how your company’s operations and business model impact your workers, community, environment, and customers.” All that positivity is pretty hard to argue with. Most business owners want their policies to be as sustainable and people-friendly as possible. But why is it worth seeking out a new certification if you’re already running a successful business? And exactly how exacting are those certifying metrics you’d have to meet to acquire the designation? Why Funeral Homes Should Consider the B Corp ModelAlthough committing to prosocial business tactics is a no-brainer from a philosophical perspective, business decisions are not generally made on the basis of idealisms and niceties. But there are many practical, nuts-and-bolts benefits to the B Corp designation, particularly for companies in the death care industry. It’s good for PR and marketing.As funeral professionals know, marketing in our industry isn’t exactly a cakewalk. Most people don’t want to think about end-of-life planning until they absolutely have to, and distraught loved ones aren’t in a state of mind to extensively shop around. But with its focus on beneficial social and ecological practices, the B Corp designation can help your funeral home or mortuary stand out from the crowd — and help install your company’s name into potential clients’ minds ahead of time. For one thing, going green and supporting local communities are hot topics right now, and local presses love to tell stories about how area businesses are making an impact. As an innovative funeral home with B Corp certification, your company could easily become newsworthy in your local market, and perhaps also act as go-to a source for reporters to contact and quote as future stories require. Certified B Corps are also published in the B Corp Directory, as are each company’s “Impact Area Scores,” which quantify your company’s world-improving efforts across the assessment axes: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. It may seem like a small thing, but tangible evidence that your company is working toward bettering the local and global community can be a significant draw. Take, for example, the recent increase in sustainable investment initiatives, especially amongst millennials — who are already rocking the funeral industry with their move away from organized religion. If today’s young people are investing in sustainable businesses, it makes sense that they’d prefer to bury their parents at funeral homes that support those same values. (By the way: publicly-traded funeral homes can become B Corps, too, and the designation may help draw new investors.) It could stimulate your company’s growth.Funeral homes, like all other businesses, are only as good as the people who staff them. And if you’re looking to expand your firm and attract high-quality talent, the B Corp designation could give you a competitive edge. Today’s college graduates and young professionals are after more than just gainful employment: they want fulfillment. In fact, a recent survey of millennials found they ranked “being in a role you’re passionate about” as a higher priority than salary, overall. Becoming a Certified B Corp can show candidates that your company is serious about being part of a larger conversation and is taking measurable steps to improve the world around it — which might just make the difference for a job seeker deciding between two offers. A 2018 survey conducted here at Connecting Directors found that finding and maintaining quality staff is one of the top challenges facing funeral directors, so this B-Corp benefit could be a major boon. It’s a way to modernize the industry — which needs it.Having only been in existence for a decade, the B Corp certification is cutting-edge and up-and-coming — neither of which are adjectives frequently ascribed to the death care industry as a whole. Popular companies with modern marketing campaigns and wide-reaching brand recognition, like Patagonia, have sought out the B Corp designation, as has the rapidly-expanding arts and entertainment organization, Meow Wolf. Businesses tout its ability to build relationships, attract talent, and improve their existing impact goals. “Aligning our company with B Lab and this powerful movement has been incredibly rewarding,” says Andrea Walker of Beneficial State Bank. “As a bank, we often get perceived as a company that makes profits at the expense of people and the planet, but this certification has helped us differentiate ourselves and show how we are doing the exact opposite.” Participation is growing on the human services side, as well: a variety of healthcare providers and healthcare-adjacent businesses, like CareAcademy, have gotten certified. Jumping on the B Corp bandwagon may help funereal firms cultivate the same kind of modern-mindedness and growth these companies exhibit, which could be a welcome development in an industry that’s not exactly renowned for its focus on innovation. In fact, there’s already one funeral home that’s already successfully sought the B-corp designation — Funeraria del Hogar de Cristo in Chile. For many funeral homes, it wouldn’t be hard to get there.Dignity, purpose, and building stronger communities — these are values that many funeral businesses and mortuaries already uphold. And so long as you’ve been in operation for at least a year, you’re likely qualified to apply; most corporate structures, including LLCs and even sole proprietorships, are eligible. Depending on how your company operates, things you’re already doing may help your application. For example, public service and community outreach efforts, like volunteering, will be taken into consideration in your B Impact Assessment. You may, however, need to revisit certain corporate policies in order to achieve certification. Areas that may need revamping include: using sustainable materials, increasing interaction with local community (by sponsoring community events, for instance), and reviewing or amending company policies toward employees — especially regarding issue management communication, job flexibility, corporate culture, and worker health and safety practices. You can get a better idea of the exact requirements, and how your business will be assessed, by downloading the complete guide published by B Lab, which also includes more information as to how the certification can help your business flourish — and what preliminary steps to take to ensure a successful certification attempt before you go through the process. So — How Do You Get Certified?Although changing or updating your legal business designation may seem like just another hoop to add to your already-busy schedule, it’s neither time-intensive nor costly to seek out B Corp Certification. You start by filling out the B Impact Assessment, or BIA, which is a free online survey that evaluates your company’s interactions with its workers, customers, community, and environment. You’ll also have to ensure you meet the legal requirements for certification. These requirements vary significantly based on your location and specific business structure (LLC, corporation, etc), but may involve updating some of your corporate documentation to include specific language. For instance, if you’re a non-publicly traded LLC in the United States, you’ll need to incorporate the following “Purpose Clause” into your Membership or Partnership Agreement: The purpose of the Company shall include creating a material positive impact on society and the environment, taken as a whole, from the business and operations of the Company. You can get the full details on the specific legal requirements for your business structure and location by using the simple online platform here. Once you begin the process using these free digital tools, B Lab will verify your score, ensuring your company’s practices meet its 80-point certification bar. The board conducts virtual meetings to review your assessment and accepts digital documentation, so it’s easy to complete your certification requirements no matter where you are. Annual fees for B Corp certification run on a sliding scale from $500 to $50,000 or more, based on your annual sales revenue. But only the largest and most successful enterprises would have to pay such exorbitant fees. According to the most recent data from IBISWorld, funeral homes pull in about $500,000 on average — which translates to an annual B Corp fee of $1,000 (and only $500 if you’re even a dollar under that mark) “More than ever, people want to do business with people and organizations they trust,” writes Tom Henning of Assurity Life Insurance Company, another company from a traditionally conservative industry that’s taken the B Corp plunge. Seeking this certification shows your funeral home is taking an active role in planning for the future — and isn’t that what our business is all about, anyway? Take the simple first step and click below to download the B-Corp Info pdf. You can read it over, share it with colleagues, and learn how to start the B Corp certification process. Article by Connecting Directors contributor Jamie Cattanach The post C Corps are out, B Corps are in. Learn How this New Business Designation Can Grow your Funeral Business appeared first on Connecting Directors. C Corps are out, B Corps are in. Learn How this New Business Designation Can Grow your Funeral Business published first on YouTube via Tumblr C Corps are out, B Corps are in. Learn How this New Business Designation Can Grow your Funeral Business We’ve been much involved with the subject of celebrancy recently. We conducted a survey to find out more about the growing numbers of funeral celebrants here in the UK. And, along with some of the main celebrant training organisations, an independent celebrant and the funeral trade associations, we’ve been looking at the standards of funeral celebrancy (more about that later this year). Over the years, there have been over 100 GFG blog posts about celebrants – some concerned, others constructive. We observe things here at the GFG. We hear from funeral directors and their clients about exceptional ceremonies – and we also get told about dreadful, templated or ad-libbed, grandstanding ceremonies. We hear about online forums where newly trained celebrants ask for help finding poetry or readings, or ideas about structuring a ceremony. Now, it’s a fact that some of our best friends are celebrants. This is important. This blog post comes from a position of caring not criticism. And it’s difficult to get the tone of it exactly right. Let’s start gently. According to Wikipedia, a funeral celebrant is ‘an individual person… who offers to perform civil funerals in a dignified and culturally acceptable manner, for those who, for whatever reason, do not choose a religious ceremony.’ Training courses proliferate. Just google funeral celebrant training and see what pops up. Distance learning, online learning, group learning, one-to-one training, residential courses. There’s something for everyone. And, of course, you don’t need any actual training at all to be a funeral celebrant. (Just like the rest of the funeral sector, celebrants are unregulated). So, market forces should sort the wheat from the chaff, yes? The most capable, responsible, self-aware and emotionally stable celebrants should be the ones regularly sought out by clients or by funeral arrangers? Those who are able to craft unique and meaningful ceremonies, who have a broad and deep understanding of the purpose of a funeral and the role of the celebrant? Those who have clear boundaries and awareness of the extent / limitation of their skills? Well, not exactly. Things don’t seem to be working like that. For all kinds of reasons, the hopes of the original, idealist pioneers for professional standards in funeral celebrancy haven’t materialised. And there are many people who are drawn to the role who want to do good, who feel they can help others – kind, well-meaning folk who feel that they have something to offer bereaved people. Perhaps some attended a funeral that they found lacking and felt that they could do better, maybe others saw a celebrant leading a ceremony and were inspired, thinking ‘I could do that too’. We’re pretty sure the vast majority of celebrants have come into this relatively new world for the best of reasons. But. That’s actually not enough. Wanting to help others is a noble thing, but it’s not enough to make a kind hearted person a good celebrant. The role comes with huge responsibility. And, along with the ability to create personal, well crafted ceremonies, to work in collaboration with others and to understand the complexities of grief, the role calls for continued self criticism, self-awareness and humility. Without recognising this, and in the same way as for those choosing other caring roles, the danger of funeral celebrants succumbing to saviour complex is a real one. So we were alarmed to discover yesterday that there is a move to encourage celebrants to extend themselves even further beyond their existing and professional abilities. Kenyon International Emergency Services, the international mass fatality incident response company, is actively welcoming celebrants as Special Assistance Team members. Here’s how this voluntary role is described: ‘Special Assistance Team (SAT) members are often the first personal contact a family member has with the organisation involved in an incident. They are the conduit between the families, designated authorities, the investigation, mortuary affairs and the incident management centre. SAT members do not exclusively work in the Family Assistance Centre (FAC). They can also provide assistance in hospitals, airports, mortuaries and family homes for non-travelling families. Being selected to work as a SAT member, although challenging, is personally rewarding. The qualities of a SAT member could mean the difference between a family member taking the elementary steps required to finding their new normal or stagnating in hopelessness, frustration and grief.’ Kenyon’s latest Team Member Newsletter outlines these qualities required in Special Assistance Team members and identifies ‘Funeral Officiants’ as ‘a profession that already has the core qualities required’. (A previous version of this list had ‘Celebrants’ listed as the second profession, below ‘Health Care Professionals’, but above ‘Social Workers’, ‘Teachers’, ‘Police Officers’ etc, but the one in the newsletter seems to have gone for the more generic ‘Funeral Officiant’ title). Now, without wishing to deter anyone from offering their services in humanitarian aid to people affected by disasters across the world, we would respectfully suggest any celebrant (of whatever level of training) considering putting themselves forward in response to this should just STOP. And think. The ‘excitement’ of being ‘deployed suddenly‘ – the ‘International Rescue’ element, think about what this actually means: Airline crashes. Earthquakes. Tsunami. Hurricanes. Cyclones. Fires. Floods. People dead. Sometimes many, many people dead. Sights, sounds, possibly smells that will lodge themselves indelibly in the memory. Traumatised, shocked survivors and witnesses. Desperate, anguished relatives. Shattered lives. Stepping into such a scenario in an attempt to help those involved ‘take the elementary steps required to finding their new normal’ requires either astounding resilience, dogged determination or sheer unawareness of what a toll it could take. Working with people in extreme trauma requires resilience, strength and skills that are part of a long term practice, taking years to develop. And those involved need support systems and networks in place to preserve their own mental, emotional and physical health and wellbeing. We asked secular minister / grief specialist (and Good Funeral Guild member) Emma Curtis for her thoughts on the potential consequences of working with the bereaved at a multi-fatality incident, having herself volunteered during the first days of the Grenfell Disaster, supporting families and friends of the missing, and the local volunteers. Here’s what she said: “Once seen, things can’t be unseen. Once heard, things can’t be unheard. Experiencing such trauma changes not only your outlook on life, but your physiology, especially your nervous system. The fashionably touted ‘benefits of post-trauma growth’ come not through the experience of trauma, but through working through that trauma: the memories, shock, grief and pain of that experience with all the challenges it has presented to your mind, body and belief system. Post traumatic growth isn’t simply a magical gift of experience, it’s a light at the end of a long, and rather gruelling tunnel.” Wanting to help others in distress is a natural instinct. But if you’re a celebrant, usually working as a lone, self employed person, where is your support network? Where is your supervision? What will you do with the experiences that might be involved? Before you put yourself forward to become a volunteer Special Assistance Team member for an international mass fatality incident response company, maybe consider the most famous of the Delphic maxims? Know thyself.
Celebrants – know your limitations published first on YouTube via Tumblr Celebrants – know your limitations Brookfield, Wis. – When a family chooses to donate a loved one’s body for education or research, they do so with the hope that they will make a difference in the field of medicine. Regrettably, many are unknowingly contributing to a for-profit industry in which the body of their loved one could be traded as raw material in a largely unregulated national market. With the introduction of H.R. 1835 in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congress is taking an essential step toward regulating this industry. This bill has the full support of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). When a family donates a loved one’s organs or tissues for transplantation, the process is transparent and tightly regulated. When donating organs and tissues, a family can usually specify which organs they wish to donate in advance and can oftentimes still opt for an open-casket funeral. Some families choose to donate their loved one’s body for scientific or medical research, an equally worthy choice. With whole body donation, bodies and body parts are used for education, research or the advancement of medical, dental or mortuary science. Researchers rely on donated human body parts to develop new surgical instruments, techniques, implants, medicines and treatments for diseases. Surgeons, paramedics and funeral directors use donated bodies and body parts for training, education and research. In most states, whole body donations may be made to a university, a state agency or a non-transplant tissue bank, which includes brokers who sell bodies. The brokers make money by providing bodies and dissected parts to companies and institutions that specialize in advancing medicine and other trades through critical training, education and research. The poor and elderly are often encouraged to donate their loved one’s body to science because some non-transplant tissue banks pick up the body, transport it and cremate it for free. Most university and state-run anatomy programs do not actively solicit donations. Some medical schools have reported that competition from body brokers has reduced the number of bodies donated to schools to train students because some brokers are able to offer donors more favorable terms, such as free removal of the body. Non-transplant tissue banks are not covered under the same laws that cover organ and tissue transplantation. Few state laws provide any oversight whatsoever and almost anyone, regardless of expertise, can dissect and sell human bodies and body parts. Under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, most state anatomical gift laws largely regulate just one side of the process – how a body may be donated. Most do not address what happens next, such as how brokers dissect, handle and ship the parts; the prices they set on human remains; to whom they sell them; how the parts are used by buyers; or the rights of donors and next-of-kin. In almost every state, it’s legal to sell the human remains of adults. Generally, a broker can sell a donated human body for about $5,000, though prices sometimes top $10,000. Bodies and body parts can be bought, sold and leased, again and again. As a result, it can be difficult to track what becomes of donors’ bodies, ensure they are handled with dignity, and returned to their loved ones after cremation. Few rules mean few consequences when bodies are mistreated. In one example of the heartache caused by the lack of regulation, a woman in New Mexico claimed that employees from a body broker in Albuquerque, N.M., visited her and made a heartfelt pitch: the generous gift of her father’s body to science would benefit medical students, doctors and researchers, citing several possible contributions, including that it might be used to train surgeons on knee replacement techniques. It took weeks longer than promised to receive what she was told were her father’s cremated remains and once she received them, she suspected they were not his ashes because they looked like sand. She was correct. In April 2010, she was told by authorities that her father’s head was among body parts discovered at a medical incinerator. She also learned – for the first time, she said – that the broker was in the business of selling body parts. Inside the company’s warehouse, authorities found at least 127 body parts belonging to 45 people. “All of the bodies appeared to have been dismembered by a coarse cutting instrument, such as a chainsaw,” a police detective wrote in an affidavit. The owner of the company was charged with fraud. H.R. 1835 will transform the landscape by providing the Secretary of Health and Human Services with oversight of any entity that deals with human bodies and non-transplantable body parts donated for education, research and the advancement of medical, dental and mortuary science. The bill also, among other things, creates a clear chain of custody for each human body or body part, ensures shipments of human bodies and body parts are properly labeled and packaged, and ensures the respectful and proper disposition of donated bodies and body parts. The bill also sets up penalties for violations of the act. “Families that donate a loved one’s body for research or education often find comfort in knowing their loved one will help improve the health and wellness of others,” said NFDA President Chuck Bowman, CMSP, CFSP, CCO. “The tragic headlines about body brokers taking advantage of the generosity of donors and donor families by barbarically dismembering bodies and selling and reselling body parts at a substantial profit are shocking. By passing H.R. 1835, Congress will bring accountability and transparency to the whole body donation process, ensuring donors’ bodies are treated with dignity and respect at all times.” NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org. The post Congress Moves to Regulate Body Brokers appeared first on Connecting Directors. Congress Moves to Regulate Body Brokers published first on YouTube via Tumblr Congress Moves to Regulate Body Brokers ASD Answering Service for Directors Currently Beta Testing Revolutionary MobileFH Texting Feature3/20/2019 Media, PA — ASD – Answering Service for Directors is currently working with a group of more than one hundred funeral homes to beta test the company’s new MobileFH™ Texting feature. This game-changing mobile feature allows funeral professionals to send and receive text messages on their cell phone using the funeral home’s business phone number as the sending number or any other associated company number, including toll-free numbers. Key benefits of MobileFH™ Texting:
These combined benefits empower funeral home teams to provide an enhanced level of customer service to their community. ASD’s Technical Team created MobileFH™ Texting in-house specifically to support on-call funeral directors by helping to facilitate mobile communications. The feature works by connecting the funeral home’s office number to the ASD Mobile app. In December, ASD sent out a prerelease invitation to clients asking them to join ASD’s sneak-peek beta program. Over the past several months, ASD has been working closely with these funeral homes to gather feedback and their firsthand accounts of using the feature. This process ensures MobileFH™ Texting meets the needs of funeral directors and is compatible with all devices. The feature will first be released to Apple iOS users with an Android-compatible version soon to follow. “When cellular technology was first introduced, it provided directors with more freedom than they had ever enjoyed in the past, but it also introduced a new host of on-call dilemmas. Its no wonder so many funeral professionals struggle with compassion fatigue and burn out; it’s pretty difficult to separate your personal life from your professional life when you’re receiving text messages from families on your night off,” says ASD’s Vice President and Family-Member Owner, Kevin Czachor. “We analyzed this problem and developed a solution specifically to help on-call funeral directors while improving the funeral home’s overall communication. MobileFH™ Texting is truly a win-win-win for everyone!” About ASD ASD – Answering Service for Directors has created a new class of answering service for the funeral profession. Family owned and operated since 1972, ASD blends state-of-the-art technology with an extensive, 6-month training program focusing on compassionate care. The company’s custom-built communication systems and sophisticated mobile tools were designed solely to meet the needs of funeral professionals. By offering funeral directors unmatched protection for their calls, ASD has redefined the role of an answering service for funeral homes. For more information, visit www.myASD.com or call 1-800-868-9950. The post ASD – Answering Service for Directors Currently Beta Testing Revolutionary MobileFH™ Texting Feature appeared first on Connecting Directors. ASD – Answering Service for Directors Currently Beta Testing Revolutionary MobileFH™ Texting Feature published first on YouTube via Tumblr ASD – Answering Service for Directors Currently Beta Testing Revolutionary MobileFH™ Texting Feature A woman in Mobile, Alabama was awarded a $12 million settlement after a funeral home lost her mother’s cremated remains. A civil jury found Pine Crest Funeral Home liable for negligence and breach of contract for being unable to locate and return Cecille Howard Taylor Gardner’s cremated remains to her family. After her mother’s death in March 2011, Shelley Hood arranged for the funeral home to hold her mother’s cremated remains until she was ready to bring them home. For Hood, this process took several years and in 2015, she asked Pine Crest to locate her mother’s remains and she was assured they would be found and released to her. By 2016, the funeral home told Hood they could not find the remains and had no record of what happened to them after cremation. Hood filed a civil suit in March 2017, citing negligence and breach of contract. This month, a jury ruled in her favor and awarded a total of $12 million in damages. Of this figure, $2 million is compensatory damages and $10 million is punitive, aimed specifically at rebuking the company.
Cecille Gardner was part of a prominent Alabama family. Her brother Alexander Howard, a former federal judge, died two months before Cecille and is buried in Pine Crest Cemetery. Reactions to the decision are split. Though many sympathize with the emotional trauma caused by the funeral home’s negligence, most of the readers of an article published by the Alabama publication AL.com call the $12 million figure unreasonable. Commenting on the article about the case, one community member questions the necessity for such a large settlement: Others agree that the settlement is too high, but defend the funeral home’s honest actions: Some question the family’s decision not to ask for the remains until four years later, while others point to the lawyers for pushing for such an aggressive settlement, citing their vested interest in earning a percentage of the plaintiff’s wins. According to Tanya Marsh, an attorney with McNeely Stephenson who specializes in funeral law, small and independent funeral homes should pay attention to cases like this one. Since the “main harm is emotional distress,” Marsh says, it’s difficult to predict potential award amounts, but the ratio of compensatory to punitive damages in this suit seem to target big corporations. Although a corporate giant like SCI is more likely to face huge punitive damages, smaller funeral homes are also potentially vulnerable to similar claims of breach of contract and tort claims. Even without a settlement in the millions, the “normal” costs of defending lawsuits like this one can threaten a business’s viability.
A clear and well-written contract provides extra security to both the funeral home and the deceased’s family. In similar cases in Florida and New York, funeral homes are accused of misplacing and mixing up bodies prior to funerals. No lawsuits have yet been filed in these cases. What do you think of the Pine Crest Case? Tell us in the comments! Article by Connecting Directors contributor Diana Eliza Ionescu The post SCI Firm Settles for $12MM in Lost Cremains Case After Family Takes 4 Years to Claim Them appeared first on Connecting Directors. SCI Firm Settles for $12MM in Lost Cremains Case After Family Takes 4 Years to Claim Them published first on YouTube via Tumblr SCI Firm Settles for $12MM in Lost Cremains Case After Family Takes 4 Years to Claim Them A woman in Mobile, Alabama was awarded a $12 million settlement after a funeral home lost her mother’s cremated remains. A civil jury found Pine Crest Funeral Home liable for negligence and breach of contract for being unable to locate and return Cecille Howard Taylor Gardner’s cremated remains to her family. After her mother’s death in March 2011, Shelley Hood arranged for the funeral home to hold her mother’s cremated remains until she was ready to bring them home. For Hood, this process took several years and in 2015, she asked Pine Crest to locate her mother’s remains and she was assured they would be found and released to her. By 2016, the funeral home told Hood they could not find the remains and had no record of what happened to them after cremation. Hood filed a civil suit in March 2017, citing negligence and breach of contract. This month, a jury ruled in her favor and awarded a total of $12 million in damages. Of this figure, $2 million is compensatory damages and $10 million is punitive, aimed specifically at rebuking the company.
Cecille Gardner was part of a prominent Alabama family. Her brother Alexander Howard, a former federal judge, died two months before Cecille and is buried in Pine Crest Cemetery. Reactions to the decision are split. Though many sympathize with the emotional trauma caused by the funeral home’s negligence, most of the readers of an article published by the Alabama publication AL.com call the $12 million figure unreasonable. Commenting on the article about the case, one community member questions the necessity for such a large settlement: Others agree that the settlement is too high, but defend the funeral home’s honest actions: Some question the family’s decision not to ask for the remains until four years later, while others point to the lawyers for pushing for such an aggressive settlement, citing their vested interest in earning a percentage of the plaintiff’s wins. According to Tanya Marsh, an attorney with McNeely Stephenson who specializes in funeral law, small and independent funeral homes should pay attention to cases like this one. Since the “main harm is emotional distress,” Marsh says, it’s difficult to predict potential award amounts, but the ratio of compensatory to punitive damages in this suit seem to target big corporations. Although a corporate giant like SCI is more likely to face huge punitive damages, smaller funeral homes are also potentially vulnerable to similar claims of breach of contract and tort claims. Even without a settlement in the millions, the “normal” costs of defending lawsuits like this one can threaten a business’s viability.
A clear and well-written contract provides extra security to both the funeral home and the deceased’s family. In similar cases in Florida and New York, funeral homes are accused of misplacing and mixing up bodies prior to funerals. No lawsuits have yet been filed in these cases. What do you think of the Pine Crest Case? Tell us in the comments! Article by Connecting Directors contributor Diana Eliza Ionescu The post SCI Firm Settles for $12MM in Lost Cremains Case After Family Takes 4 Years to Claim Them appeared first on Connecting Directors. SCI Firm Settles for $12MM in Lost Cremains Case After Family Takes 4 Years to Claim Them published first on YouTube via Tumblr SCI Firm Settles for $12MM in Lost Cremains Case After Family Takes 4 Years to Claim Them |
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