Final Rights Reclaiming the American Way of Death

by Carlson, Lisa; Slocum, Joshua; Lisa, Carlson

• ISBN13: 9780942679342
• ISBN10: 0942679342
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-06-15
• Publisher: Upper Access, Inc.

Summary

In the decades since Jessica Mitford shocked Americans by exposing deception and abuse in the death industry, the situation has only gotten worse. Families are exploited financially at a time of grief, prepaid funeral money disappears into thin air, body parts are sold on the black market, and eight states deny families the healing that can come from participation in caring for their dead. Now, though, a new consumer movement is underway--equivalent to the natural childbirth and hospice movements of recent decades--with families demanding the right to control this major event. Some may want a funeral director to help, but not direct the funeral. Others do it themselves, with home burial, green burial, or dealing directly with crematories. Joshua Slocum and Lisa Carlson are the two most prominent leaders of that movement. The tell in detail how to assert your rights to care for your dead under present law--and propose legal reforms that would benefit everybody who will ever have to plan a funeral.

Author Biography

Joshua Slocum is executive director of Funeral Consumers Alliance, a national consumer advocacy group with over 90 chapters nationwide. FCA is the primary watchdog over consumer abuses by the funeral industry.Lisa Carlson, a former executive director of FCA, is now executive director of Funeral Ethics Organization, a nonprofit working with the funeral industry to improve ethical standards and consumer protections.