Funeral Words

Is your newspaper the next to collapse?

Time.com has an article listing the top 10 most endangered newspapers (including the Boston Globe right up the road from which they seem to think will stop publishing in print this year).

Here's the article:  Time.com: The 10 Most Endangered Newspapers in America

So far we have not seen any papers go out of business in our immediate service area, but who knows when that might happen.

I'm curious to hear from funeral directors who have had to work around a newspaper shutdown and wonder how you've handled it. Please take a minute to post your comments, just click on the link below.

Email!

Think people are distracted out there? You're right!

Here's an article from the New York Times about recent efforts by large companies to curtail the amount of email and instant messaging, so that people workers improve their productivity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/technology/14email.html?ex=1371182400&en=1205d91382acd3dd&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

We in funeral service don't have the same deluge in our smaller companies. Still, we can keep these things in mind when trying to contact other colleagues in affiliated businesses. Perhaps they don't need the latest internet chain letter afterall. *

Hillenbrand Split

I don't have time to get into the details right now but Hillenbrand Industries, the parent company of Batesville Casket, has today (April Fools day of all things) split into two companies with the medical supplies business going in one direction and the funeral service supplies business going in the other.

Here's an interview of Ken Camp which appeared on CNBC today.

CNBC: Hillenbrand Split Video

Here's a better interview which appeared on Fox Business.

Perinatal Hospice Programs

Until reading this article the other day, I had not heard of hospice programs which specialize in caring for newborns with known terminal illnesses. Prenatal screenings have become much more accurate and comprehensive such that more often families know ahead of time about a critical birth defect or other malady. These programs like more traditional hospice programs, seek to support families through the end of life process after birth.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23682263/from/ET/

There is a national organization which you can find here:

http://www.perinatalhospice.org/

This link will take you to a listing of currently operating perinatal programs:

http://www.perinatalhospice.org/Perinatal_hospices.html

Online Degree Completion

I have meant to post this information for several weeks and keep forgetting. The New England Institute at Mount Ida College in Newton, MA has rolled out the very first online bachelors degree program in the United States. Looking quickly it entails 2 courses per semester over four years taken completely online plus three "academic residencies" which amount to an orietation session at the beginning of the program, a mid-program summer session after the second year of course work and then a wrap-up program at the end which includes participation in commencement. This summer's orientation begins on July 19th. Time to get those applications started!

For further information, application forms and all the rest, follow the link:

NEI Mount Ida Online Bachelor's Degree

Social Security Mistakes Leave the Living In Limbo

Here's an article which every funeral home should review with funeral directors and staff on an annual basis. At the very least, print it out and pass it around during your next staff meeting.

Mistakes by the Social Security Administration can cause people to lose benefits or even their idetity because a mistaken Social Security Number gets marked as deceased. Since we at funeral homes file death notification forms, we ought to take extra care to make sure those records leave our offices accurately.

MSNBC: Government records incorrectly kill off thousands, and there’s no easy fix

Death In-flight

MSNBC ran an article last week about the trauma and challenge of dealing with deaths which occur during an airline flight. Thought I would pass it along.

Dealing with Death at 30,000 Feet

Shifting Religious Affiliations

According to a survey on religions affiliation newly published by the Pew Forum on Religious and Public life, more than 25% of Americans have left the faith of their childhood to either switch religions or to become unaffiliated altogether. If you factor in movement between protestant denominations, then some 44% of Americans have changed affiliation.

For a full summary follow the link to the New York Times site.

New York Times: Americans Change Faiths at Rising Rate, Report Finds

Illinois Association Funeral Trust in Trouble

According to the Journal Register newspaper, the Illinois Funeral Directors Association trust fund has some serious problems. Follow the link for the full story.

Springfield Journal Register: Funeral fund runs a deficit

Midlife Suicide on the Rise

According to an article in today's New York Times, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued an analysis of population statistics which points to a 20% rise in suicide among those age 45-54 and among women in that age group a rise of 31%.

So far they have not pinpointed a key contributing factor but the CDC has called for further research.

For more information follow the link:

New York Times: Midlife Suicide Rises, Puzzling Researchers

How about you as a funeral director? What experiences have you had with suicide lately? Leave a comment.