NOTE - Due to the cease and desist letter I received from a specific corporation, all names are to be considered fictitious, but then again, I did not write the article.
Disclaimer - If none of this information pertains to your staff or your funeral home, don't worry about it. But don't be angry with me for speaking the truth......
Disclaimer - If none of this information pertains to your staff or your funeral home, don't worry about it. But don't be angry with me for speaking the truth......

REMOVAL - Transport of the deceased from the place of death be it a Hospice facility, the residence, the Medical Examiners office or the Hospital to the funeral home for refrigeration, storage or preparation while the administrative duties and responsibilities of the facility are conducted. This is done by either the funeral home staff or the "Removal Service".
LETS TALK!
Of all the concerns I have heard from the community, probably the biggest and most concerning has been, "How do I know your facility is going to be the one that picks up my Mom when she dies, HOW WILL WE KNOW"?

What if she ends up elsewhere?
Guess what, this happens also. This happens when the deceased passes away late at night and the hospice has not been notified of a facility or location. This happens late at night when an unethical hospice worker that is doing this for a "kick back" (this happens, I don't care what anyone says, not all the time, but it does). They hope that the family will not question the location selected, especially for just cremation. The bottom line is that no matter what, if the deceased ends up at a facility you did not ask for or select, even if you DID NOT pick one at all, you are not obligated to pay the removal charges. Tell the funeral home to bill the hospice that they selected without your permission.
The Funeral Home is Here.....

The guy comes in and asks to see were the deceased is. He then asks for the person in charge. Not much is said and he will not say much. He gives the business card and fills out some paper work. He then speaks to the hospice nurse and asks when you are ready, just let him know. The hospice nurse will share with the family, "Perhaps you would like to leave the room while he places Mom on the gurney" Now, I discourage that, "IN FACT" I encourage family members to help if they wish, it is very comforting helps Begin the grieving process.

Were do you go then?
Well, the "removal service" runs to the next removal and on and on and on at times taking your loved on a 3 to 4 hour "tour" of the city. Yes it is legal, and yes they are that busy. The "Funeral Home" staff go to the funeral home that they work for, but more and more removal vehicles go to a central processing unit were they take all the bodies that the company either cremates or buries. The corporate funeral homes use usually one facility in the area. We at Avenidas take the deceased to the funeral home, our funeral home in AVONDALE, Arizona. by our funeral home employee drivers. Thoompson Funeral Chapel of Goodyear AZ uses a "Removal Service" as does THE "no name" funeral home in Tolleson AZ, Avdantage Crystal Rose take the deceased to it's central "Prep. Unit" in central Phoenix, AZ. (Also known as CSI or The Dingity Memorial guys)
Why do they do that?
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Got to get to the next removal........... |
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Ring! Ring!.. not now I'm sleeping......... |
Because they can? I don't know, because the funeral director is to lazy to get out of bed in the middle of the night? (or the middle of the day or to busy playing video games) Save money? (not for you! not at the prices these other facilities charge) Who knows. Removal services are a good thing, most are very professional and courteous, but still, I have a staff and chose to run a funeral home so WE can serve you, not a removal service. It's a really good feeling when a family comes into see me and tells me. "Your guy was very nice and professional last night" and I can tell them, "May I bring him in so you can thank him personally?" I like that and they earned the re recognition.
I've "liked" your page for about the last two months. My grandmother was in the funeral home business for 40 years in Southern California. The company she worked for was a lot like yours, When she passed away 5 years ago we were lucky enough to be able to use her company. Six months ago my husband's father passed away he passed away in the middle of Hunting in his sleep and was taken by the coroner in Northern Arizona. We then had to rush to find a funeral home that could do everything we needed. I sure wish we would have found you before going with a much higher priced company that was not nearly as courteous. God forbid I ever have to use another funeral home, you will be my first pick
ReplyDeleteCatherine, Thank you so much for your kind words. I try very hard to be factual and honest. I speak from 15 years in the industry watching it all unravel for some families going from bad... to worse. I just care allot about people that are grieving so hard and really am trying to do all I can to soften their blow during a death. It's horrible. Thank you and please look at my link below to my Facebook "Information page". Full of all kinds of little bits and pieces of info that helps. Thank you for taking the time and Enjoy Cali, I just returned from San Francisco.
ReplyDeleteRespectfully,
Miguel Legaspi
https://www.facebook.com/AvenidasFC?ref=hl