Dying At Home: An Australian Perspective...
In the following short YouTube video from 'SBS The Feed' you'll meet several Australians who took control of their impending deaths by choosing to die at home rather than in a hospital or institutional setting.
This is an excellent short documentary that summarizes the thoughts and ideas of these men and women, as well as their Doctors and care professionals, who've chosen for a variety of reasons to be at home when they die.
Their stories provide remarkable testimonies to the power and grace of a Home Death Care experience:
WATCH HERE>> Dying At Home" — Australians choosing to die at home safely and securely...
Not surprisingly, this form of Medical/End-of-Life decision making is on the rise here in the USA and abroad.
In California there are 152-words that define exactly what can and cannot be done in relation to folks providing Home Death Care for their friends and loved ones.These words come directly from the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, which is the regulatory body that provides consistent interpretation and application of the laws governing this state’s death care industry.
And, it’s really best to let them speak for themselves…
Home Death Care:
The use of a funeral establishment and funeral director is not required by law when preparing a body for disposition. You can arrange for your body, or that of a loved one, to be cared for and prepared for disposition by family and friends at home. If you choose home death care, you must:
• File a properly completed Certificate of Death, signed by the attending physician or coroner, with the local registrar of births and deaths.
• Obtain a Permit for Disposition from the local registrar of births and deaths.
• Provide a casket or other suitable container.
• Make arrangements directly with the cemetery or crematory.
Your local county health department may be able to help you file a Certificate of Death and/or a Permit for Disposition.
(NOTE: Human remains may be kept at home without embalming or refrigeration until disposition. Generally, decomposition will proceed more rapidly without refrigeration or embalming.)” ~~ California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau
The CCFB uses simple, straightforward language to describe what Home Death Care can be in California. Yet, we all know that death is far from a simple and straightforward process to go through – no matter how the legal language may read. For many of us the first awareness we have of Home Death Care usually comes into our lives in answer to this question: “Where do I want to be when I die?”
According to a Stanford School of Medicine study: 60% of Americans die in Acute Care Hospitals… 20% die in Nursing Homes… and only 20% die at Home. That same study also found that 80% of Americans would prefer to die at home. Additionally, the study confirmed that not every person actually wants to die at home in preference to a medical or clinical setting.
Also, dying at home is not favored in certain cultures (due to cultural taboos), and some people may wish not to die at home, out of concern that they might be a burden on their friends and family.
Truth to tell, there are no right or wrong decisions to be made in relation to Home Death Care. There are simply choices to be considered — based upon many different factors.
On that note, there are several things that I want to be very clear about. Home Death Care is not applicable for use in all end-of-life circumstances. Practically speaking, if someone has suffered traumatic injuries from an accident and they're being treated in a hospital, or an Intensive Care Unit environment – that would obviously exclude them from being a good candidate for a Home Death Care focused end-of-life experience. I think we can all agree on that.
Truth to tell, there are no right or wrong decisions to be made in relation to Home Death Care. There are simply choices to be considered — based upon many different factors. Notwithstanding, what can you do, and/or what will you not be able to do, regarding Home Death Care practices within your state, local, or municipal jurisdiction.
According to a Stanford School of Medicine study: 60% of Americans die in Acute Care Hospitals… 20% die in Nursing Homes… and only 20% die at Home. That same study also found that 80% of Americans would prefer to die at home.
Clearly, there is a level of direct personal involvement, hard physical and emotional work, actual time required, and necessary fiscal resources that Home Death Care demands. I strongly suggest that you assess what you believe will be right for you and your family, or the family of a friend or loved one — in relation to the needs, resources and capabilities at-hand – long before the time comes to actually make a commitment of this nature. In the realms of medical/End-of-Life decision making — pre-planning is very much your friend.
FYI, here are a few online Home Death Care resources you might want to check out:
• The National Home Funeral Alliance website provides many, many resources, tips, referrals, and more.
• Funerals360 is a website that includes an excellent search utility, which will help you find home death care resources within your local area.
• Seven Ponds is another website that is chock full of death positive resources including home funeral information aplenty.
In all these matters — stay safe and strong.
Respectfully,
— Paul W. Ennis, PPAHN
www.pwe-patient-advocate-navigator.com/
paul@pwepan.com
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