Facts of Life

Unfortunately it is true and although we don’t like to talk about it and even try to avoid the subject at times, everyone must die sooner or later.

Throughout the lives of the baby boomers we have heard how boomers have impacted the social and economic trends of our country and the world. One more trend is about to be impacted and that trend is preplanning funerals.

With the millions of people born between 1946 and 1964 there will be a growth of hospice needs, funeral homes, cemeteries and estate planning. But operators of businesses that deliver these services say American cultural attitudes keep customers ignorant about how to access these services. Many boomers cling to their youthful self-concepts and avoid talking about death.

The death care industry has made changes aimed at the boomer’s attitude towards death and getting boomer customers to confront the inevitable.

“Since death is an imminent possibility for people at all times, people of all ages should have a death plan,” states John Canine, author of “What Am I Going To Do With Myself When I Die?”, a book about death care issues.

One of the biggest changes in the death care industry is the “preplanning funeral” package. It is designed to get the boomer to think ahead, design their own service, and it eases the grief process for survivors who don’t have to worry about funeral details and also helps improve funeral home public relations. In some cases you can prepay for your funeral, it is not always required when just preplanning.

But have boomers over done it (preplanning) this time with the new spin in funerals? In an article from the Arizona Republic dated May 4, 2007, Matt Thornhill, President of the Boomer Project, a research and marketing firm based in Richmond, VA is quoted as stating “Every phase of life they get to they transform. As they go on their final hurrah, boomers do it differently.” ¹

In Phoenix one man has created a casino for mourners. They can gather to honor the departed and drop coins into slot machines. The coins or money used is donated to the departed’s favorite charity.

The bizarre list of funerals includes building a campsite complete with fake fire, driving an armored truck with a song on it that states, ”You can’t take it with you”.

In today’s boomer society the funeral is a production, staged and choreographed complete with Power Point presentations, slide shows and video clips edited together to tell the person’s life story.

Funeral homes have strayed from the traditional somber services to a more modern funeral service . The black attire with Amazing Grace playing in the background is in the past. They have moved on to more contemporary, up beat celebrations with white robes or colorful clothes and music such as Bob Dylan, The Stones, REO, ELO, Bob Segar, or even Elvis vibrating through the sound system.

If you preplan your funeral you have the say in how it is conducted and carried out. You can capture your lifetime in just one day and make a meaningful memory for your loved ones.