In case you haven’t been
tuned into the death management scene in recent years, you are apt to be
pleasantly surprised. Prepare to erase stagnant old stereotypes and replace
them with updated images.
Additional methods for
bodily disposition are being introduced in other countries, with potential for
infiltration in the United States at some time in the future. Already, some states have legislated
approval for alkaline hydrolysis, and operations are on the threshold of being
initiated; in fact, the service has already been launched at the
Anderson-McQueen funeral home facilities in St. Petersburg, Florida. Beyond dissolution options,
opportunities to donate organs and tissues for relevant (and sometimes uniquely
meaningful) causes have proliferated everywhere.
Increasingly, “being green”
is “in.” Concern for conservation
has prompted advocates to question and alter the way bodies are buried. The underground milieu has been
scrutinized, causing realization that there’s a lot more than decomposing
material under the surface. “What
you can’t see won’t hurt you” may no longer be the case. The reality of wasted wood products,
indestructible metal pieces, and potentially toxic embalming chemicals has
motivated an emergence of natural cemeteries where only biodegradable matter is
allowed to accompany a decedent into subterranean territory. What began as an initiative in the
United Kingdom is now spreading across this country. There are newly established burial grounds as well as hybrid
designations within traditional cemeteries whereby a section is utilized
according to natural burial principles determined by the Green Burial
Council.
A hot trend toward rising
cremation rates is having a profound impact on the death care industry. To offset financial voids due to a
dearth of casket sales and the services that go hand in hand with them, funeral
home operators are diversifying their offerings. The inherent flexibility of memorial services in contrast to
funerals allows for conduct of them in varied settings, in atypical indoor
venues as well as outdoors.
Requests for unusual approaches are more apt to be heeded. Personalization is paramount these
days, with all kinds of individualized presentations, including thematic displays
and even stage-like set-ups in some cases.
Wedding planners and other
types of event facilitators have been joined by a bevy of funerary event
planners and cohorts in diverse roles.
Training programs for celebrants prepare individuals to set up
independent practices and officiate at customized services that veer away from
standardization. Receptions have
become more elaborate; caterers are apt to specialize in food geared toward
commemorative occasions.
Manufacturers have flooded
the market with all kinds of merchandise that bespeaks novelty of concepts and
designs. It can actually feel
energizing to shop for items like memento gifts and, certainly, urns. Artists have created vessels for this
purpose that are works of fine art featured in galleries.
A wave of architectural
splendor has permeated the construction of mausoleums and columbaria. Elements of light and natural beauty
have been incorporated to render a soothing environment. Modernization has endowed dreary
domains with a “face lift.”
No
matter how distant one’s own death may be, this is an exciting time to explore
the contemporary arena of trends and practices. It’s never too early to begin planning an exit strategy that
can be intriguing for the planner now, and greatly appreciated by loved ones
later.
