Recent Trends in Funeral News
Over the past few weeks, these funeral news stories have appeared. They focus on COVID-19 pandemic deaths, unclaimed bodies, hospice care access, bucket lists, and why we treasure certain items.
Idaho morgues are running out of space for bodies as covid-19 deaths mount
As covid-19 deaths reach record highs in the state of 1.8 million, hard-hit areas are struggling to keep pace with the surge in victims. Some hospitals, funeral homes and coroners say they’ve been pushed to the limit. Some morticians have even started embalming bodies that wouldn’t normally need the procedure so they don’t have to refrigerate them, the Idaho Statesman reported. Read the full story here.
‘Don’t get vaccinated’: Fake funeral home is used to promote coronavirus shots
International Death Count: Impact of COVID on Caring for the Dead in All Corners of the Globe
The number of dead multiplied by a locale’s capacity for processing the deceased ultimately poses the only question that matters: How many can we process? How many becomes the arbiter of what final services can possibly be rendered. How many determines when, where, even, in some cases, if the deceased of a particular region may be laid to rest with a traditional service, or embalmed, or properly buried, or even adequately cremated. Read the full story here.
One Thing I Don’t Plan to Do Before I Die Is Make a Bucket List
Dr. Kate Bowler, an associate professor at Duke Divinity School, is the author of “No Cure for Being Human.” She has Stage Four colon cancer at the age of 35 and a slim chance of survival.
Why your belongings hold so much meaning, and how to decide what to grab in an emergency
Whether escaping emergency situations or downsizing or decluttering, many of us have been overwhelmed by dealing with our material possessions. Though sometimes derided by others as “just things” or “stuff,” especially in a time when minimalism seems to be growing more popular, many of our belongings hold such special meaning that it’s deeply painful to part with them, intentionally or otherwise. Why do we cling to physical objects? How can we ease the pain of losing them? And how can we prioritize which items matter in an emergency? Here’s what the experts say. Read the full story here.
The Forgotten Dead: Alone in Death
Tens of thousands die each year in the United States and no one claims their bodies. Conservative estimates are that 1 percent of all deaths result in an unclaimed body, which would mean that last year, when 3.4 million Americans died, there were 34,000 bodies left for local governments to bury. But many coroners and others who handle these bodies say the national figure could be as high as 3 percent, which would bring the unclaimed count to more than 100,000. Read the full story here.
Hospice Care Must Be a Choice Everyone Can Access
This opinion piece by Dr. Gina Piscitello shows the benefits of hospice services. It’s a blessing to allow patients to go home and be with their families and die in the comfort of their own homes. Read the full essay.
Stories compiled by Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist and The Doyenne of Death®.