Packet- Funeral Service Ethics Flashcards
Self imposed rules of conduct specific to a group.
Code of Ethics
The primary obligation of the mortician is the protection of the public health to assure the public that a dead human being will not constitute a public nuisance.
Sanitation and Cleanliness
To show this to the deceased because they can no longer demand it for themselves.
Reverence and Respect
Funeral service is built entirely upon this because the ramifications of death are usually a subjective experience. Psychologically, without this subjective aspect there would be no need for funeral service.
Sentiment
The funeral director and support staff have been given a sacred trust by the public in caring for their loved one. The funeral director should ask themselves this.
How would I want this done if the deceased were a member of my family?
Have no place in the presence of the dead than they have in the presence of the living.
Crudeness and Disrespect
Use a clean white sheet and cover the remains except during the embalming process.
Never Leave Human Remains Exposed
The deceased is not an object of curiosity but rather the object of sacred trust.
Never Admit Unauthorized Persons into the Preparation Room
- Member of the family holding primary right of disposition.
- Licensed funeral director and embalmer
- Registered apprentice/intern
- Trained assistant
- Hair dresser, attendant
- Medical examiner, eye, tissue bank, or those in police power.
Authorized Persons in the Preparation Room
- Maintenance workers, groundskeepers
- Drivers of casket delivery trucks
- Funeral service suppliers
- Non oriented, non-apprentice drivers of funeral equipment.
- Florists and those that deliver flowers
- Curiosity seekers
- Other passers by
Unauthorized persons no Allowed in Preparation Room
- 3 requirements of the disposal of the dead:
- A body
- Transportation from place of death
- A means of disposition- cremation, entombment, interment
- Society demands and expects so much more.
- Our belief in the sanctity of the dead and our desire to relieve the grief of survivors prompt us to lay down our dead in dignity and respect. Since the dawn of human race we have buried our dead with dignity.
Dignity
Sincere and honest understanding of what the bereaved is going through is one of the most important ingredients in the funeral director’s personality. Dont be a phony- don’t represent yourself as the stereotypical undertaker.
Sympathy
The public demands efficiency and compentency from its professionals. In society, this is why there are educational internship requirements prior to certification or licensure in all professions and sanctions and punishments for those deemed incompetent.
Efficiency and Compentency
- Educational requirements
- Written, oral and practical comprehensive exam- NBE, State
- Internship in the field
- Licensure or certification
- Mandatory continuing education
Common Professional Requirement Model
So that every aspect of it appears to the public as the coordinated and smooth running operation. A disorganized funeral experience defeats the purpose of funeral service completely and appears to the public as a circus act.
Organize your Service
It is not only unethical but plain stupid as well as dishonest to divulge any confidence, privacy or idiosyncrasy of the domestic life of any family you serve. It is unethical as well as dishonest to divulge any confidence placed in your trust to support staff. They need not know these trusts to perform their duties. Should your staff learn of these confidences, they are also bound not to divulge such matters.
Confidential Relationship
- Domestic situation or problem
- Cause of death or other physical conditions
- Physical defects or other idiosyncrasies pertaining to the deceased
- Financial transactions including the financial situation of the family
- Family and funeral home records
- Other information considered confidential, regardless of the source
Confidences to be Guarded
Any funeral home employee found to be violating professional confidence should be discharged and this policy should be put in the employee manual.
Employee Violation
- Information Indicating crime or intentional violence with the cause of death
- Concealing evidence of a crime
- Information in relation to a possible crime
- Medical examiner
Ethical Obligation to the State (Detection of a Crime)
No mortician shall remove or embalm a dead body when he or she has ths information until permission is first received from the medical examiner.
Information Indicating Crime or Intentional Violence with the Cause of Death
No mortician shall commit any act knowing that it would do this. Most states require a waiting period and some kind of identification procedure prior to cremation (Maryland 12 hour law).
Conceal Evidence of a Crime
Any mortician who has or obtains as a result of his or her service any of this should forthwith communicate any such information to the medical examiner.
Information in Relation to a Possible Crime
- An alleged accident of any nature
- Bodily burns
- Fractures of any kind
- Undetermined cause
- Deceased was DOA at a hospital
- Exception- physician who pronounced death was in regular attendance to the deceased prior to death.
- No physicial was in reguar attendance to the deceased prior to death.
- Physician refuses to sign a death certificate
Medical Examiner: Situations to Contact
Applies only to medical examiner certificates. Even standard death certificates, under certain situations may require approval by the medical examiner. It stands for:
- Natural
- Accidental
- Suicide
- Homicide
NASH Classification
No matter what pricing method used- unit, biunit, functional or full itemization, the funeral director must explain his/her charges verbally and in writing on the purchase disclosure form. They consumer must understand what the charges are for both merchandise and services.
Honesty
