1 / 40

A Return to Tradition: Home Funerals and Natural Burials

Explore the benefits and alternatives to conventional funerals, burials, and cremation. Learn about home funerals and natural burials, their environmental impact, legal considerations, and how they provide a more personal and meaningful way to say goodbye. Save money and promote healing and closure.

marcop
Download Presentation

A Return to Tradition: Home Funerals and Natural Burials

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. A Return to Tradition: Home Funerals and Natural Burials

  2. Introduction • Background • Workshop agenda: • Presentation – conventional end-of-life care, home funerals, natural burials • Q and A, Discussion www.eolalternatives.org

  3. Funeral Homes • Usually called immediately to come remove the body • Family is presented with an array of options • 2017 average cost: • For a funeral/burial: $8700 + plot and cemetery fees • For funeral/cremation: $6200 • For direct cremation: $2500 Freeimages.com – NielsRameckers www.eolalternatives.org

  4. Conventional Burial • Caskets, liners, and vaults • Harvesting/processing/transport of caskets • Water/fertilizer of cemetery lawns Pexels.com www.eolalternatives.org

  5. Environmental Impact – Conventional Burial www.eolalternatives.org

  6. Embalming • 60% of corpses are embalmed • Became commonplace after Civil War • Purpose is mainly cosmetic CivilWarMed.org www.eolalternatives.org

  7. Embalming Fluid • Ends up in the earth • Embalming fluid: mostly formaldehyde • Increases chances of leukemia, ALS and other autoimmune/ neurological diseases, early death for embalmers www.eolalternatives.org

  8. Burial vs. Cremation - Percentage www.eolalternatives.org

  9. Cremation • A greener option… but: • 2-4 hours and more than 1800 degrees • Releases 300-600 pounds of carbon dioxide into atmosphere • Also releases fine soot, sulfer dioxide, heavy metals, and mercury (from fillings) • Contributes up to .2 percent of annual global emissions of greenhouse gas www.eolalternatives.org http://www.wadenapj.com/business/4214209-karvonen-funeral-home-crematory-addition-complete

  10. Ashes • Ashes: mostly calcium phosphates • High pH and salt content • Can be hazardous for delicate environments Nathalie Heydon, BBC www.eolalternatives.org

  11. Ashes, cont. • For plantable soil, ashes can be mixed with a soil amendment (Bios Urn, Let Your Love Grow, The Living Urn) Letyourlovegrow.com Ashes buried in a biodegradable urn after 16 months . www.eolalternatives.org

  12. So what are the alternatives to conventional funerals, burials, and cremation? www.eolalternatives.org

  13. Video – Death DIY www.eolalternatives.org

  14. Home Funerals • Home funerals and natural burials were the norm throughout most of human history http://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/undertaking-l-a www.eolalternatives.org

  15. Home Funerals, cont. • Legal in every state • Nine states require some involvement by a licensed funeral director (not WI) http://sacredcrossings.com/introduction-to-home-funerals-death-midwifery/ www.eolalternatives.org

  16. Pertinent Laws • WI Statutes 69.18 (1)(a): "Any one of the following may move a corpse for the purpose of final disposition…  A member of the decedent's immediate family who personally prepares for and conducts the final disposition of the decedent.“ • WI Administrative Code HFS 135.05(1)(b) "Any member of the immediate family of a deceased person may prepare the body for burial or other final disposition." www.eolalternatives.org

  17. Home Funerals, cont Why do people choose home funerals? • a loving way to say goodbye • provide control over decisions • promote healing and closure • can facilitate bonding • save money http://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/jeremys-death www.eolalternatives.org

  18. What Home Funeral Families Can Legally Do • Act as the funeral director for immediate family • Care for and shelter deceased at home • File death certificates and other documents • Transport the body home, to a church, or to disposition • Hire a home funeral guide or licensed funeral director to assist Pexels.com www.eolalternatives.org

  19. Home Funerals – legal and safe • Embalming is not required by any state or federal law • According to the CDC, NCID, PAHO & WHO, bodies do not pose an increased risk of infection after death • Cooling is key • Universal precautions only if necessary NHFA www.eolalternatives.org

  20. Home Funerals – Paperwork • Can be complex • Unexpected deaths • Death certificates and other documents Pexels.com www.eolalternatives.org

  21. Home Funerals and Hospice • If death occurs at home: family must call hospice ASAP. • A hospice medical provider will pronounce the death. • Death Certificate is initiated  • Report for Final Disposition (transit permit) is initiated • If death occurs at a hospice facility rather than at home: Family initiates Notice of Removal of a Human Corpse in order for the hospice to release the body to them. • Family prepares and cares for the body, and makes all arrangements for final disposition. www.eolalternatives.org

  22. Home Funerals, cont A good choice when: • Expected death • With enough planning and helpers May not be a good choice when: • Unexpected/violent deaths • Not enough planning • Family isn’t in agreement • Disposition will take longer than 3 days NHFA www.eolalternatives.org

  23. Home Funerals, cont • Does not preclude a church service • Not for everyone • Big decision – needs agreement and education • End-of-life doulas can help • Is a spectrum, not either/or • Even just a couple of hours with the loved one can be beautiful www.eolalternatives.org

  24. Using a Funeral Home • General Price List • Choose only services you want/need • Compare prices on www.parting.com https://mjmurphyfuneralhome.com/ www.eolalternatives.org

  25. Using a Funeral Home, cont You can use any casket – hand-made or purchased elsewhere Casketkit.com Northwoods Casket Co Naturalburialcompany.com www.eolalternatives.org

  26. Video – Natural Burial/Green Funeral ..\..\..\..\Desktop\Natural Burials and Green Funerals.mp4 www.eolalternatives.org

  27. Natural (or Green) Burial • Greenest option available • No embalming • Buried 3-4 feet down • No vaults/liners • In biodegradable shrouds or caskets • No upright headstones • More family participation Erik S. Lesser/Chicago Tribune/MCT www.eolalternatives.org http://www.undertakingla.com/shroudscasketsandurns/

  28. Natural (or Green) Burial www.eolalternatives.org

  29. Natural Burial, cont. • Traditional • 54% of Americans indicate an interest • 72% of cemeteries report increased demand http://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/resources/natural-burial www.eolalternatives.org

  30. Natural, Hybrid, and Conservation Cemeteries • Hybrid cemeteries contain space for both conventional and natural burials • Conservation Cemeteries go a step further: use burial fees to pay for land acquisition, protection, restoration, and management • Land is protected forever with a conservation easement Pexels.com www.eolalternatives.org

  31. Natural (or Green) Burial - Where? • 160 green cemeteries in the US (250 in UK!) • Four locations in Southern WI • Milwaukee: Forest Home’s Prairie Rest and Greenwood Cemetery • Waukesha: Prairie Home • Verona: Natural Path • Barneveld: Circle Cemetery • Cost: $3,000- $4,500 for plot and interment • Private Property - possible ACB - Taken at Prairie Rest www.eolalternatives.org

  32. Burial: Space Considerations • 2.5 million deaths per year (will increase to 3.6 deaths in next 20 years) • One million acres of cemetery land in the US • Already very expensive in some areas of the country • Issues abroad Pexels.com www.eolalternatives.org

  33. Burial: Space Considerations, cont. • What are we really purchasing? • Re-use and leasing • Upright burial • Vertical and underground cemeteries https://www.uprightburials.com.au/what-we-offer Credit: AP www.eolalternatives.org

  34. Other Options • Alkaline Hydrolysis (flameless cremation) – 16 states • Promession - only Europe www.eolalternatives.org

  35. Other Options, cont • Burial at Sea • Whole Body Donation • Mushroom Suits • Pods https://www.capsulamundi.it/en/ www.coeio.com www.eolalternatives.org

  36. Other Options, cont • Constellation Park • Recomposition https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-future-of-death-could-be-a-shiny-cemetery-beneath-the-manhattan-bridge https://www.metropolismag.com/cities/the-urban-death-project-bringing-death-back-into-the-urban-realm/ www.eolalternatives.org

  37. Post Cremation Options • Coral Reefs • Diamonds • Vinyl • Tattoo ink • Fireworks • Outer space • Etc… Pexels.com www.eolalternatives.org

  38. Everyone should have a plan • Advance planning - legal documents • Share wishes with loved ones (and hear theirs) • End-of-life doulas can help Pexels.com www.eolalternatives.org

  39. Resources www.eolalternatives.org

  40. Anna Benton • End of Life Alternatives • bentonannac@gmail.com • 414-736-1821 • www.eolalternatives.org www.eolalternatives.org

More Related