Throughout the year, coronavirus woes and struggles have only been piling up. This is especially true for the death care industry—those working in it as well as those depending on it. Unfortunately, an additional 200,000 U.S. deaths are estimated this year because of the pandemic, according to NFDA’s 2020 Cremation and Burial Report.
More families than usual are planning funerals and the sheer volume of deaths speaks to that. Not to mention, 50% of NFDA-member funeral homes report families postponing a loved one’s service due to COVID-19, with plans to hold some type of service with a funeral director’s assistance in later months.
How the Death Care Industry Relies on USPS Services
However, adding to the possibility of worst-case scenarios, USPS services are being threatened by heavy debt, powerful competitors and costly pensions. Resolving the USPS issues will involve extreme cost-cutting measures, a massive government bailout, or both. And this situation has forced many of us to consider for the first time what life without the USPS might look like.
And the damages cut even deeper—some of the first cuts in the USPS system will include special services like Priority Express mail. How does this affect the death care industry? Its effect is actually quite direct. Currently, USPS Priority Express is the ONLY delivery service that will ship human cremated remains.
While the inherent risks of shipping cremains have kept other providers, such as FedEx and UPS, from offering this service, the USPS accepts and embraces this responsibility. They even provide free boxes and packing materials for all cremated remains shipments.
What This Means for Families
The financial pressures on the USPS are already impacting Priority Express services, and delays are growing. Suddenly, the prospect of families not receiving their loved one’s cremains in time for a memorial service — or not receiving them at all — is becoming all too real.
However, deathcare attorney Poul Lemasters is quite familiar with these potential problems. And he has some recommendations for funeral homes, crematoria, and third-parties who rely on the USPS to deliver cremains in a timely manner. As reported in Connecting Directors, Lemasters says:
“I would encourage every funeral home, crematorium, or third party who may be tasked with shipping cremated remains to do three things.First, make sure you have proper disclosures that clearly indicate you’re only responsible for the package until you drop it off at the delivery center. Second, make sure the family knows you’re not responsible for and can’t guarantee any timelines or shipping dates. Lastly, create an internal checklist and document with photos every step of the cremains packaging process, including a picture of the completed package and the shipping label.”
Call to Action
For now, the House of Representatives is expected to reconvene to work on legislation to fully fund the USPS. As a call to action, it is recommended by Barbara Kemmis, Executive Director of the Cremation Association of North America, that all funeral directors take a moment to speak up on behalf of the entire death care profession and the families they serve. With the help of TheStand.org, you can download a pre-drafted letter to follow Kemmis’ advice of reaching out to your state’s senators, letting them know the severity of the situation at hand. You may send this letter as-is or use it as inspiration when writing your own. Look up your state senators’ addresses here; it is important that as an industry we try to ensure families are reunited with their loved ones.
Source Name: Connecting Directors