If you are in the Death Care business you know that the number of cremated remains that reside in peoples’ homes is a large, and more than likey, growing number.  Some estimate that 60-80% of those people who are cremated have their cremated remains brought to a private home initially.

 

Others estimate that about 20-25% of those cremated remains continue to rest in private home indefinitely.  To some grieving relatives it is a comfort to have those remains in their home, but for others it is simply the fact that the remains are either forgotten about or the homeowner caring for the remains never decides or “gets around” to finding permanent placement for the remains.

 

Because of that and other reasons, Minnesota company Coldspring has established, registered, and will encourage Death Care providers to observe the first-ever “National Cremation Placement Day” on Saturday, October 17.

 

According to this press release issued by Coldspring, the day was “Created in recognition of the 150th anniversary of cremation in America. National Cremation Placement Day was designed to raise awareness about the importance of the permanent placement and memorialization of cremated remains, an area often overlooked . . . ” 

 

The press release also relates that “National Cremation Placement Day promotes community memorial services that offer families a meaningful, pressure-free way to gather, remember, and take next steps. It aims to:

• Increase awareness of permanent placement options 

• Support healthy grief through shared remembrance 

• Help families find relief from long-term uncertainty”

 

A few other statistics —  Here’s a couple of other statistics that we found from Scattering Ashes and OneWorld Memorials:

• 76% of people who have “Home Remains” have a single cremated individual in their home.
• 24% of people who have “Home Remains” have multiple cremated individuals in their home.
• Relationship of cremated remains to the home owner:  50% have cremated parents in their homes, 15% have cremated spouses in their homes, and 5% have cremated friends in their homes.
• There is a cremated remains in approximately 21.9 million American homes.

 

Funeral Director Daily take:  As a huge proponent of permanent memorialization I think the idea of a concerted effort to remove cremated remains from homes for permanent placement is a great idea.  Coldspring and other companies advocating for such should be commended by all in the Death Care realm.

 

While I’m only one voice and I understand and respect that others have different opinions than I do, I look at cremated remains as a “Life that has been lived”.  And, in my book, that life deserves respect and dignity even after death.

 

There is nothing wrong with taking cremated remains home where a spouse or child gets some comfort out of having the remains in their proximity.  However, the remains should not be forgotten about and left in a closet when that spouse or child leaves and the home is sold.  I’m a believer that a respectable, final memorialization should be given that person. . . even if that is memorialization is scattering.  From my point of view that is a planned final memorialization.

 

To me there is just something disrespectful to human life about “being left in a closet”.

 

If giving the general public a date and guidance on doing something with these “Home Remains” Coldspring may jump-start some families into makeing a decision about permanent placement and that would be a good thing.

 

And, if I owned a funeral home I might think about giving a little publicity to the observation day and the weeks leading up to it with some publicity.  It might just move some of those in your community to contact you about helping them with a permanent placement which could mean potential service, urn, urn vault, and monument revenue to your firm.

 

Crowne Vault can help with the publicity:  It was back in May when we featured Crowne Vault and their “At Home to At Rest” program in Funeral Director Daily.  You can see that article here.

 

“At Home to At Rest” is Crowne Vault’s permanent placement initiative and they can help your funeral home, crematory, or cemetery in publicizing an event for that purpose.  Click here to learn how you can use Crowne Vault’s customizable and ready-to-use promotional materials to help your business promote National Cremation Placement Day and permanent placement of cremated remains in general.

 

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