Tag Archives: advance directive

Funerals at the Mall

Looking for a custom coffin or personalized urn for your ashes? You might find just what you’re looking for at the local mall. Forest Lawn Cemetery in southern California has a novel marketing plan to bring the cemetery to you.

The company has set up kiosks in malls where you can check out cremation urns, see coffin selection brochures and learn about the wide range of burial services, none of which , unfortunately, you will be around to appreciate.

In between the latest arrivals at Gap, Banana Republic, and Macy’s, you can browse among the colorful offerings for your remains. It’s a chance to get comfortable with the fact that we will die, which too many of us don’t like to think about.

Maybe this signals a new comfort level with the idea of mortality. If you’re a baby boomer, you probably like to have things your way. You want a ‘green’ funeral, which requires no urn, vault, or coffin? What about a coffin that reminds you of your beloved T-Bird? An urn emblazoned with Go-Niners or other favorite sports team? Just check out the brochure.

One can only hope that along with customized funeral accessories, you also have a living will, a durable power of attorney for health care, an advance directive and a will. Those documents will mean more to your family than the logo on your final resting place.

http://www.npr.org/2014/02/09/273157389/funeral-home-kiosks-offer-shoppers-the-ultimate-deal