Carlson undercover—shenanigans in Indiana
-by Lisa Carlson I traveled to Sullivan, Indiana this week to see if I could help a young man fight an outrageous funeral bill. His wife, a housekeeper at a local hotel, died suddenly in June ’09, with...
View ArticleNo fridge?
8/12/11—Believe it or not a huge number of funeral homes lack the most obvious basic equipment: a refrigerated body storage unit. Why? Historically funeral homes successfully pushed nearly every family...
View ArticleCasket Disclaimer Form Prompts Complaint to Federal Trade Commission
Despite being illegal since 1994, despite years of FTC rulings, and despite how shortsighted it is, some funeral homes are still throwing obstacles in the paths of consumers who exercise their right to...
View ArticleFinal Rights on the Radio
10/11/2011 — Anyone who knows me wouldn’t expect me to thank them for getting me up at 6 a.m., but my hat’s off to the fantastic volunteers at the FCA of East Tennessee for a jam-packed and fun day on...
View ArticleSan Antonio News-Express Reviews Final Rights
—Like Jessica Mitford‘s “American Way of Death,” “Final Rights” deals with the industry that has evolved around our culture’s reluctance to face the immutable fact of our deaths and what to do with...
View ArticleHelp with home funerals: when it crosses the line
As a grandmother to the home funeral movement since 1987, I have been thrilled to see the interest in home funerals taking hold around the country. And how wonderful that there are significant learning...
View ArticleWhy Do Hospitals Want to Hold on to Dead Bodies?
While most people would prefer to die at home, nearly half the deaths in the U.S. either occur or are confirmed in a hospital. With the growing interest in home funerals, more and more families want to...
View ArticleUpdates to Alabama, Indiana
We’ve updated the state-specific chapters for Alabama and Indiana to take account of recent law changes. Alabama now allows citizens to legally choose an agent to carry out their funeral plans while...
View ArticleGeorgia tightens preneed
Hats off to the Georgia Funeral Directors Association (yes, really!) for their work this legislative season. Thanks in large part to their efforts a proposal to allow consumers’ prepaid funeral money...
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Iowa: Caring For Your Own Dead Just Got Harder
4/27/2012—To our shock, a recently passed bill (HF2369) takes away the ability of local registrars to issue burial-transit permits. Home funeral families are now at the mercy of funeral directors with...
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