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Table of Contents What Others Say About This Book.................................. iv Dedication.................................................... vii Preface...................................................... xv Acknowledgements............................................ xxiii CHAPTER 1: The First Call – Initial Notification.............. 1 Case Example – The first-call without communication................... 1 Best Practice for Handling First-Calls Professionally and Effectively........ 2 Basic Information on a First-Call Form............................... 5 Documenting Special Requests..................................... 7 Some Things You Need to Achieve During the First-Call.................. 9 Some Things to Avoid During the First-Call:........................... 9 Using an Outside or Third-Party Transfer Company..................... 9 Using an Answering Service....................................... 10 Case Example - A good laugh and an unexpected party................. 14 CHAPTER 2: Transfer and Identification of the Decedent.... 15 Basic Responsibilities........................................... 15 Documenting the Transfer........................................ 17 Case Example: Sloppy Procedures Leads to Mix-Up.................... 18 Best Practice Guidelines for Transfers............................... 19 Learning from Hospitals......................................... 23 Universal Identification System - A System to Consider................. 23 Case Example: A Transfer Done Incorrectly.......................... 24 Case Example: A Transfer Done Right............................... 25 Outside and Third-Party Companies................................ 26 Deaths Involving Hospice ........................................ 27 Transfer and Decedent Receipt .................................... 28 CHAPTER 3: Arrival of Deceased at the Funeral Home....... 31 Case Example: Unhelpful Attendant Leads to Six-Figure Verdict .......... 32 Steps to Take Upon Arrival ...................................... 34 CHAPTER 4: The Arrangement Conference................. 36 Why the arrangement conference must be professionally conducted........ 36 The value of sharing an agenda ................................... 39 Best Practice in determining the person(s) with authority................. 41 Power of Attorney.............................................. 43 What is a Power of Attorney?..................................... 44 Case Example: What would you do?................................ 45 Common Law relationships...................................... 47 Case Example: Multiple spouse scenario............................ 48 When the next of kin is unavailable or hospitalized..................... 49 Fax authorizations............................................. 52 Indemnity agreement........................................... 52 Being alert to family dynamics .................................... 53 Dealing with perfectionists........................................ 54 Case Example: The client unable to be satisfied....................... 54 Reaching Informed Consent...................................... 55 Ascertaining how much information is considered adequate?............. 57 The General Price List........................................... 59 Use of forms.................................................. 60 CHAPTER 5: Verifying Identity of a Deceased Person........ 67 Means of Verifying Identity...................................... 68 Viewing – A Way to Assure Other Family Members..................... 69 Case Example: Same Last Names.................................. 70 Policy Contents for Verifying Identity............................... 71 Identification of Decomposed or Other Difficult Cases.................. 72 Identification is primary. Viewing is secondary......................... 73 Case Example – A Father’s Need to Know........................... 74 Using a Waiver Instead of Viewing the Person’s Body................... 75 Verification by Photograph....................................... 76 Other Means of Verification...................................... 77 CHAPTER 6: Care and Preparation of a Deceased Person.... 79 Informing the Family and Receiving Authorization .................... 80 Case Example: The Coroner Advises Embalming ...................... 81 Opening Discussions with a Client Family ............................ 81 Case Example: Getting Started on the “Right Foot” ................... 82 Custody Factor ................................................ 83 Sheltering Guidelines ............................................ 85 Embalming-Care Report ......................................... 87 Contents of an Embalming-Care Report ............................. 89 Minimum Care when there is No Embalming ......................... 91 Viewing when the Deceased Person is Not Embalmed ................... 92 Case Example – The Concerned Nurse .............................. 93 Case Example: A Hard Lesson .................................... 95 Embalming ................................................... 96 Communicating with the Client Family .............................. 98 Using an Off-Premises Refrigeration-Embalming Facility ............... 100 Performing Due Diligence of the Off-Premises Facility ................. 101 Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule and Embalming ............... 102 CHAPTER 7: Visitation – Wake – Funeral Ceremony........ 104 Case Example – Unfulfilled Promises .............................. 105 Educating the Staff and the First Viewing ........................... 106 Case Example – The Ignored Family .............................. 107 Case Example – Disbelieving Wife ................................ 108 The Funeral Ceremony ......................................... 109 Case Example: A scary funeral ................................... 110 Case Example – Leaky casket.................................... 112 Handling
Personal Property during the Visitation Describing Personal Property .................................... 115 Disposition of Personal Property.................................. 115 Is the Funeral Director Always Responsible for Personal Property? ........ 116 Case Example – The Missing Gold Watch........................... 117 Removing Personal Property .................................... 119 Handling Personal Property for Shipment ........................... 120 The Procession to the Place of Disposition .......................... 120 Case Example – The Large Procession ............................. 127
CHAPTER 8:
Disposition by Earth Burial How to Set Appropriate Boundaries ............................... 132 What is a Funeral Director’s Role at a Cemetery? ..................... 133 Responsibilities at a Cemetery ................................... 134 Case Example: The Funeral by Invitation Only ...................... 136 When is the Funeral Director Relieved of Responsibility? ............... 137 Case Example: Funeral Director or Bystander? ...................... 137 Receipt for Deceased from Cemetery .............................. 140 Is a Burial Permit the Same as a Receipt? ........................... 141 Disinterment ................................................. 142 Guidelines for the Disinterment Process ............................. 143 Cemetery Inspections and Funeral Home – Cemetery Relations .......... 145 Case Example – Arlington National Cemetery’s high standards .......... 148 CHAPTER 9: Shipment of a Deceased Person............... 151 What is a Shipping Service?...................................... 152 Methods of Shipping Deceased Persons............................. 154 Classifications of Shipment...................................... 154 Areas for Concern............................................. 154 Foreign Consulate Offices....................................... 155 Basic Requirements for International Shipment...................... 157 Receiving a Deceased Person from a Foreign Country.................. 158 Dealing With the Client Family................................... 160 Case Example: Unexpected Snowstorm............................. 161 Disclosures on an “Authorization for Shipment” Form.................. 163 Type of Shipping Containers..................................... 164 Viewing Prior to Shipment....................................... 167 Preparation of the Deceased for Shipment........................... 168 Documenting Care to the Deceased................................ 169 Case Example: Left Alone at the Airport............................ 173 Local shipment or transfer of remains.............................. 174 Shipment of cremated remains................................... 175 Best
Practice Guidelines for Receiving Cremated Remains at the Case Example: An Unexpected Trip to Hawaii....................... 178 Shipping Cremated Remains..................................... 180 International Shipment of Cremated Remains........................ 181 Carry-On Cremated Remains and TSA Requirements.................. 182 TSA Cremated Remains Container Requirements..................... 183 Proportioning Cremated Remains................................. 184
CHAPTER 10:
Outside Service Providers Duty of Care Classification of Workers: Contractor or Employee?................... 188 Examining the “Special Relationship” Factor......................... 191 Case Example: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You................... 192 Due Care - Negligence.......................................... 193 What is the Reasonable Person Concept?............................ 194 Being Familiar with Outside Contractors............................ 196 Qualifying Independent Contractors............................... 196 Case Example – The Unprepared Funeral Director.................... 198 Liability insurance coverage...................................... 200 Off-Premises Facilities.......................................... 203 Transferring a Deceased Person to an Off-Premises Facility.............. 204 Inspecting off-premises facilities.................................. 205 CHAPTER 11: Cremating a Person’s Remains............... 207 Cremation from the Funeral Director’s Point of View................... 207 Case Example: “Poof”.......................................... 209 Outside crematory agreement..................................... 211 Authority to Cremate........................................... 213 Faxed Authorizations or Authorizations at a Distance.................. 215 Case Example: Favorite Son and Disowned Daughters................. 216 Funeral Director’s Ace-in-the-Hole................................. 217 Cremation Authorization Form................................... 219 Formatting the Cremation Authorization Form........................ 221 Disclosures to Contain in the Cremation Authorization Form............. 222 Explaining the Cremation Process................................. 227 Identification and Cremating the Right Person........................ 229 Attaching the cremation tag...................................... 231 Removal of Medical Devices and Property........................... 232 Removal of Body Piercing....................................... 233 Final Verification at Funeral Home................................ 233 Best Practice when Transporting to the Crematory..................... 234 Receiving Cremated Remains from the Crematory.................... 235 CREMATING THE PERSON’S BODY.............................. 237 Best Practice for Accepting and Storage of the Deceased Receipt for decedent........................................... 240 Opening Containers at the Crematory.............................. 241 Maintaining Identification at the Crematory......................... 242 Cremation Log Book........................................... 242 Performing the Cremation....................................... 244 Removing the Person’s Cremated Remains from the Chamber........... 245 Processing Cremated Remains.................................... 246 Case Example – The Toothless Client............................... 248 Placement into the Urn-Vessel and Minimum Biodegradable Urns............................................ 250 Labeling the Urn-Vessel......................................... 251 Storage of Cremated Remains at the Crematory...................... 251 Releasing Cremated Remains..................................... 253 Case Example: Wrongful Release.................................. 254 Disposition of Cremated Remains................................. 255 Cremated Remains Disposers..................................... 258 Case Example – The Un-Scattered Cremated Remains.................. 258 Commingling of Cremated Remains............................... 259 Infant Cremation.............................................. 261
CHAPTER 12:
Using
an Outside Crematory and Disclosures and due diligence..................................... 265 Due Diligence................................................. 265 Reasons funeral directors hesitate in performing inspections............. 268 Case Example: Close encounter of the wrong kind.................... 269 Defining an inspection.......................................... 274 Key attributes in conducting a crematory inspection................... 276 Performing a crematory inspection................................. 278 Two types of inspections........................................ 279 Formal-comprehensive inspections................................ 280 Crematory checklist............................................ 280 Further suggestions during inspections.............................. 283 Cremation log book............................................ 283 CHAPTER 13: Unclaimed Cremated Remains............... 285 A Nationwide Dilemma......................................... 286 The Responsibility Factor....................................... 288 Liability Factor............................................... 289 Why People Fail to Retrieve a Person’s Cremated Remains.............. 290 How to Prevent Abandoned-Unclaimed Cremated Remains............. 293 Financial Incentives........................................... 295 Safeguards When Storing Cremated Remains........................ 296 Disposition of Unclaimed Cremated Remains........................ 299 Contacting Family Members..................................... 300 Case Example: A Claim after 20 Years............................. 302 Placement in a Grave or Crypt.................................... 303 CHAPTER 14: Risk Assessment and Insurance.............. 306 Purpose of Insurance........................................... 308 The Need for Risk Assessment.................................... 309 When Should a Risk Assessment be done?.......................... 311 Involving Employees in the Assessment Process...................... 312 How to Conduct a Risk Assessment............................... 313 History of Insurance........................................... 315 Choosing an Insurance Company................................. 317 Professional Liability Insurance/ Errors-and-Omissions................. 322 What is Professional Negligence?.................................. 323 The Need for Professional Liability/ Errors-and-Omissions Insurance...... 323 How Much Coverage is Necessary?................................ 327 Assessing How Much Professional Liability Insurance is Needed.......... 329 Stand-alone Policy............................................ 331 Commercial (comprehensive) General Liability Insurance............... 331 Umbrella Liability Insurance – Best Practice Recommendation........... 333 Products Liability Insurance..................................... 334 Employment Practices Insurance................................. 335 Commercial Crime Insurance-Fidelity Bonds......................... 335 Dealing with Personal Property.................................... 335 Choosing an Insurance Company and Agent......................... 336 CHAPTER 15: When You Are Sued........................ 340 Handling Complaints to Reduce Lawsuits........................... 341 Case Example: A Disturbing Disinterment – Tell or Not Tell?............ 342 Three-Step Approach to Resolving Complaints....................... 344 Best Practice to Reduce Lawsuits.................................. 346 How a Lawsuit Develops........................................ 348 Steps in a Lawsuit............................................. 350 Types of Legal Cases........................................... 351 Early Stages of a Lawsuit........................................ 352 Middle Stages of a Lawsuit...................................... 354 Last Stages of a Lawsuit........................................ 361 Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)–Other Ways to Decide Disputes....... 366 Steps You MUST Take If You Are Sued............................ 368 Things You Should NEVER Do When You Are Sued................... 373 Basic Courtroom Behavior...................................... 374 Choosing an Attorney.......................................... 376 Prevention: Your Best Strategy................................... 378 General Questions Concerning Lawsuits............................. 379
Authors’ Biographies........................................... 384 Appendix 1: Emotional Distress................................... 386 Appendix 2: Professionalism..................................... 406 Bibliography................................................. 415 Resources................................................... 420 Sample Forms 425
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