LINKS and RESOURCES
Scroll or Click to view links and resources listed under the following categories:
Advance Health Care Directives
Bereavement support resources
Books
Consumer Organizations
End of Life Non-Profit Organizations
Government Resources
Green Burial
Organ, tissue and body donation resources
Private autopsy services
Advance Health Care Directives:
The Guide to Maryland Law on Health Care Decisions includes forms
Delaware Advance Health Care Directive Form
The DC Advance Directive from the D.C. Hospital Association is valid in DC, MD and VA (http://dcha.org/Publications/AdvanceDirective.pdf)
The Advance Health Care Directive from the Montgomery County Coalition for End-of-Life Care is valid in DC, MD and VA but omits a living will.
Bereavement support resources:
AARP articles and online support for those who are grieving.
Your local hospice, many local hospitals and some churches offer bereavement support groups
Wendt Center for Loss and Healing in N.W. Washington, DC. 202-624-0010
The Dougy Center offers support for grieving children. 503-775-5683
Compassionate Friends offers support for those who have lost a child of any age. 877-969-0100
GriefNet offers e-mail support groups
Books:
Carlson, Lisa: Caring for the Dead: Your Final Act of Love. Upper Access Books, 1998. This Comprehensive guide contains personal stories, including those of the author, general information about all aspects of after-death care and the funeral industry, and information about managing things oneself. It includes information about starting a funeral committee in one's church, and has separate chapters on considerations as they apply in each state. An excellent resource.
Goodman, Rabbi Arnold. A Plain Pine Box: A Return to Simple Jewish Funerals and Eternal Traditions. KTAV Publishing House, 1981, augmented edition 2003. This slim book recounts the experience of a congregational group dedicated to providing a simple and traditional funeral and grief support for members, without expense, relying on volunteers and a negotiated fee with a local mortuary for certain essential elements. Its message and guidance would be valuable not only for Jewish people but also for anyone wishing to learn about methods of conducting a simple and dignified funeral.
Harris, Mark. Grave Matters: A Journey Through The Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial. Scribner, 2007. A compendium of information about alternative funeral and burial practices.
Hogan, Pat. Alison's Gift, NosilA Publishing, Silver Spring, 1999. This book is about the death and after-death care of Alison, the 7 year old daughter of Beth Knox, who was inspired by her experience to found "Crossings," a consultation service to help others take control of the care of their loved ones after death. The book is an inspiring tribute to Alison and her family, and it describes how Beth found ways to make Alison's after-death care an intimate and natural part of letting her go.
Mitford, Jessica, The American Way of Death Revisited. Vintage Books, 1998. This is an updated and revised version of the original, which broke new ground in exposing the often deceptive and self-serving practices common in the American funeral industry in 1963. Some practices changed as a result of Jessica Mittford bringing them to light, but others remain. Reading this book is an excellent first step in protecting oneself from exploitation when arranging after-death care. The book is well-written and witty.
Morgan, Ernest. Dealing Creatively with Death. Upper Access Books, 14th ed., 2001. This book contains a wealth of helpful practical information about a variety of topics related to the end of life. Most helpful are the chapters on simple burials and cremations, creating meaningful death ceremonies, bereavement, and organ donation. There are good references. The author has been active in a committee that does the after-death care for his Quaker spiritual group for years.
Poer, Nancy Jewel. Living into Dying: A Journal of Spiritual and Practical Deathcare for Family and Community. White Feather Publishing Company, 2002. This book details the author’s extensive experience with family undertaking and wakes at home. It includes extensive practical information and inspiring stories with spiritual implications.
Consumer Organizations:
Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) is a national nonprofit organization providing consumer education and advocacy.
The Funeral Ethics Organization (FEO) aims to promote ethical dealings in all death-related transactions.
Kavod v'Nichum (Honor and Comfort) provides assistance, training and education about Jewish death and bereavement practice for groups in synagogues and communities in the U.S. and Canada .
End of Life Non-Profit Organizations:
Compassion and Choices is dedicated to support, education and advocacy surrounding choice and care at the end of life.
Crossings is a Maryland-based nonprofit organization that assists families with home funerals.
Undertaken with Love, an organization providing information on home funerals. Their website has a listing of state laws related to home funerals.
Final Passages is a non-profit program providing advice and seminars about caring for your own dead.
Government Resources:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) publications:
Complying with the Funeral Rule is a concise, easy-to-understand guide to the Funeral Rule, the sole federal regulation governing the funeral transaction. It covers topics including information required on the General Price List (GPL) and misrepresentations prohibited by the Rule. Though written for the mortician, this is a must-have reference source for every consumer.
Funerals: a consumer guide is a very helpful resource describing many things one should consider before making funeral arrangements.
Paying Final Respects: Your rights when buying Funeral Goods and Services is another valuable consumer guide about your funeral rights.
Department of Veterans Affairs:
The Department of Veterans Affairs includes the National Cemetery Administration, which provides information on cemeteries as well as burial and memorial benefits for veterans.
State Regulatory Agencies
Maryland Consumer Rights at Cemeteries, Monument Dealers and Funeral Homes
Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight
Maryland State Board of Morticians
Green Burial:
Organ, tissue and body donation resources:
Washington Regional Transplant Community (WRTC)
Maryland State Board of Anatomy (http://dhmh.maryland.gov/anatomy/) 1-800-879-2728
George Washington University Medical School (Department of Anatomy - 202-994-3511)
Georgetown University Medical School (Department of Cell Biology - 202-686-1219)
Howard University Medical School (Department of Anatomy) - 202-806-9869)
Uniformed Services University of the Health Science (USUHS) - 301-295-3334.
Private autopsy services
Diener's Autopsy Services, Inc. serves DC and parts of Maryland. 301-430-0100
Medilegal is a national organization which has contracts with pathologists in about 40 states who do the work. 800-343-2135