Post 9--The Funeral Industry: Things to Watch For (2)

Post 9

I’m going to continue with the funeral industry today to alert you to things to watch out for. Remember the article to which I referred you in the previous post? I hope you took a look at it.  

For one thing, I hope you observed that there are people and organizations out there that aim to protect you from the sharks lurking in the industry.  There is, among others, the Professionals in Care Alliance (PICA) that alerts people to such sharks.  They have branches in various cities. Be sure to contact them if you sense problems. 

Darrell Peregrym, a Vancouver leader in PICA, said it’s time we paused to give serious thought about “unethical behaviour and disrespect for the dead” that is shown by “certain funeral home operators.” He tells the story of one “home” that suggests to their clients that the amount they spend is a reflection of their love for the deceased!  So, one family ended up paying over $25,000 with that motivation! A potential client of another “home” almost ended up with a total bill of $28,000!  Imagine that! The above “homes” were all parts of large chains. A resident of Cloverdale, BC, described the behaviour of the “chain homes” as “gouging.”  I cannot think of a better term.  

When one of the clients above turned to a “family funeral home,” the quotation was approximately one-seventh of that—in other words, $4,000.  Another client at still another family funeral home was quoted $2,300. 

BC’s Lower Mainland also has the Family Funeral Homes Association, a non-profit society that aims “to advocate on behalf of bereaved consumers.” So, there is help. 

I advocate that every family, but especially those that have seniors or sick amongst them, begin to explore the scene they will be facing sooner or later, beginning by accessing the above Association. Death is more sure than taxes. It has neither loophole nor escape clause. Prepare for it. Know what you need to know. Save your family the pain of making decisions under stress in ignorance. 

When you are faced with this certainty, remember these lines in one of the stanzas of Amazing Grace:  “You have no less days to sing God’s praise than when you first began.” Give that some serious thought. Amazing, indeed!