People who are grieving over the loss of a loved one are being taken advantage of because they are coerced into spending extra money by the funeral industry. The embalming process poses health and environmental concerns to those who handle the chemicals that are used in the process. There are alternative to embalming that are less costly and more environmentally friendly. Embalming is a complicated process where many Canadians will make extraordinary amounts of money for the loved ones who have passed away to be buried and put into a place of rest. Coercion and Deceit During a time of distress and duress, many family members make decisions which are often hasty. The funeral industry takes advantage of those who are grieving by telling family members that embalming is necessary. The undertaker uses the argument that the corpse needs to be preserved in order for it to be presentable. The funeral director often decides to embalm the corpse without permission from the person who passed away or any of his family members (Mitford, 2005). After everything has finished, the total bill for the funeral service is often more then what was told initially and the family is left with an enormous bill. People want to have the body to be presentable at the funeral; therefore, they are coerced into paying extra to promote the growth of the undertaking industry (Mitford, 1998). Hazardous Chemicals The chemicals used in the embalming process will cause many health and environmental problems for those who handle the solvents. Formaldehyde, glycerin, borax, phenol, alcohol, and water are the typical ingredients of embalming fluid (Mitford, 2005). Many of these chemicals are corrosive and are carcinogens that absorb into the skin of the... ... middle of paper ... ...s create a safety hazard that is harmful to the people handling the formaldehyde and other dangerous chemicals present in the embalming fluids. Also, there are alternatives that are safer than embalming. Embalming is a complicated process where Canadians pay extraordinary amounts of money for their loved ones that have passed away. Think twice before making arrangements for loved ones. Works Cited Chiappelli, J. (2008). Drinking grandma: The problem of embalming. Journal of Environmental Health , 71 (5), 24-28. Colman, P. (1997). Corpses, coffins, and crypts. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc. Mitford, J. (2005). Behind the formaldehyde curtain. In S. Scott, D. Perkins, & E. Rothwell, Intersections: Readings in the sciences and humanities (pp. 129-134). Toronto: Pearson. Mitford, J. (1998). The American way of death revisited. New York: Vintage Books.
In the past four decades the cost of a funeral service has risen 1,328% (Boring) and that’s not just because Morticians wanted to out of pure greed. One must take into account that modern mortuaries are much more of a business than before. Prior to 1970, the majority of funeral homes were were independent, family run. Today about 14% of funeral homes are run by a publicly traded corporation (Boring) meaning there’s a plethora of capital involved in these businesses now. The homes are built better and by professionals rather than by individuals with some tools, the home’s are extremely more sanitary since there’s more than likely no one living in these funeral homes unlike before, and the quality of the products these services are providing is greater than before.
In Sandy Hingston’s “The death of the funeral business”, the story motivates people into moving into different sets of values or beliefs that weren’t acquainted in their previous ideas. I feel the understanding of change in culture is motivating the author. The time that she is living a time and era in which we as the people search for many ways to have freedom. This includes freedom of choice from the restraints of our own minds such as culture and beliefs we are so accustomed to. Hingston is seeing as a change on how we perceive our body because of the time and era it occurs in. One of the the biggest change in history is the since 1884 which introduced the use cremation. This later rose in popularity overtime in which it finally reached
While some people may believe that euthanizing animals is important and can protect people from dangerous animals or that it puts animals out of pain; I strongly encourage them to look at the other side of the argument. Understanding that many people abuse euthanizing for their own convenience is just one of the reasons we should stop euthanizing. Among other reasons is that people need to understand that euthanizing can immensely hurt a population of species by killing too many too soon. Above all, letting nature take it's course by allowing animals to die when it's their time is why we should not allow humans to euthanize. We should not decide animals fate for them. Therefore, I encourage that we take a stand against euthanasia. Together, we can stop this cruel act against
There are three main, practical reasons defending the significance of embalming. The first is to restore the body to a familiar state, which has been proven to help families mentally and psychologically cope with the loss. Another reason is to rid the body of hazardous elements that live and grow in decaying tissue. It is still unknown whether embalming is effective at complete sanitation and protecting the public. The last main reason behind embalming is to preserve the body so a proper service and burial can be held.
There are places where patients receive Euthanasia, and although the people in the vegetative state cannot see, the peace is something that you don’t need to see to feel it. Also, Euthanasia will save money to the family, as reported by The New York State Department of Health, “Under any new system of health care delivery, as at present, it will be far less costly to give a lethal injection than to care for a patient throughout the dying process." Besides, there is no reason to keep a person alive if there is not a possibility of recover it would only affect the economy. As stated by the Medical Billing Advocates of America, “as many people have seen, the final cost associated with life support can be an enormous burden once that loved one has passed away.” Contrasting the cost of Euthanasia with the cost of keeping someone alive, the results show a considerable difference of spend that if possible should be avoided. Nevertheless, there are cases where it is worthy to spend all this money, for example, if there is hope of a recovery, the family will never consider any amount of money too much for a second chance in their relative
Throughout the past hundred years, all over the world the number of cremations done exceeded burials and left a shocking number behind. As it was in 1968 with 35 % of funerals being cremations, today in the UK, Japan, Canada, USA and many other countries it is growing and reached over 79 %. (Mayers, 2013). This is becoming so popular that even small companies for constructing crematoriums are becoming larger and turn into very well-paid businesses. As a matter of fact, with present day people choose their best options for funerals and do not take into account the so called old beliefs that religion forbids cremations. Peo...
“When a patient says, ‘Help me doctor,’ he is assuming that his doctor is on the side of his life.” This quote by Dr.Margaret Cottle , who is a palliative care physician , shows the mentality that most patients have when it comes to patient care. Euthanasia is a very controversial topic that has been debated on throughout the years. Whether it may be active euthanasia, passive euthanasia, voluntary euthanasia, involuntary euthanasia, indirect or physician assisted the morals and reasoning behind each are controversial. Though some people may believe euthanasia may be justified in a critical situation and critical punishment, euthanasia should be prohibited because euthanasia weakens societies respects for the sanctity of life, euthanasia might not be in the person’s best interest, and euthanasia affects other peoples rights, not just the patients.
The second possibility about the burial is just as creepy. Some families cannot afford the cost of the funeral, so they put the deceased into a temporary coffin. Once the money is raised, the corpse has to be raised and walk to their new resting place. Sometimes it may take years for the family to raise the money. Hence the Walking Dead of Indonesia.
perspective on euthanasia. Journal of Medical Ethics, 36(5), 306. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Research Library.
In modern day America, a lot of changes have occurred with a standard funeral. A standard funeral is viewed as a coping mechanism for the living. While coping with death, there are several ways that a body can be disposed .A body can be buried in the earth, buried in the sea, burned (cremation), exposed to air or preserved. After the body is buried, a memorial service is held in honor of the deceased. The manner in which the body is prepared for the funeral and the manner the memorial service is held is determined by the person’s culture and religion.
An argument can be made against the use of euthanasia too as it relates to patients who are terminally ill. With the advance of technology and the changes that follow in the way we care for patients we have also found other means of making a patient more comfortable when faced with illnesses like cancer. While it would be easier on the patient and the families by having them make their exit from this life a little easier by way of euthanasia, palliative care is also an option for the preservation of life. Palliative care is a form of spe...
Imagine yourself as a mortician, certified as an embalmer, retort operator, funeral director, and a funeral cosmetologist. You get a call late at night, there’s been a terrible accident and someone has died. You arrive at the hospital and are directed to a small room where the body of the deceased is being held. There’s blood all over the sheets as the doctor and coronary assistant zip up the body bag and inform you the body was badly mangled in a car accident, which is going to make reconstructing the deceased very difficult. Your assistant puts the body on the stretcher and loads it into the hearse while you talk to the wife of the deceased man. She tells you they plan to have a funeral so you give her your card and a reassuring word before leaving the hospital and driving back to the funeral home. Now your job begins, not only will you have to reconstruct this man’s disfigured body, but you must meet with the family, discuss funeral arrangements, and deal with the family’s emotional trauma that comes with losing a loved one. Although working in the funeral business can be emotionally draining, it’s a satisfying feeling to see mourning families able to say goodbye to their loved ones. Despite the fact that working so closely with the deceased can be chilling, Mortuary science can be a thrilling field to work in.
Euthanasia is one of the most recent and controversial debates today (Brogden, 2001). As per the Canadian Medical Association, euthanasia refers to the process of purposely and intentionally performing an act that is overtly anticipated to end the person’s life (CMA, 1998)
Certainly, one can see that the issue has been at the centre of very heated debates for many years and is surrounded by religious, ethical and practical considerations. Those who push towards the allowance of euthanasia strongly believe that having such an option allows terminally ill patients to die when they still have a high quality of life and that allowing them to choose to die is much kinder than forcing them to live out the rest of their life in sufferance. Yet, those who oppose euthanasia believe that it is morally and religiously incorrect to kill, it is fairly hard to control and adding the responsibility of death to physicians. Certainly, terminally ill patients must be able to make end-of-life decisions whether it be euthanasia or palliative care, the government of Canada should be moving forward and making laws allowing for such choices to be made.
Yip,J. (2009). Euthanasia : An Overview. Canadian Point of View: Euthanasia, 1. Retrieved from Canadian Points of View Reference Centre database.