MINI CASE STUDY # 4

You have a funeral home some miles from a hospital from which you have made removals for years. The attendant knows you by name. The hospital suddenly requires you to sign in and provide your license number. You don't appreciate that and realize the Vital Records Act only requires you to provide your name and address. When you explain that, the hospital remains adamant that this be done because they have had bad experiences where unlicensed persons from other firms made removals which they weren't aware of. You know for a fact that two or three firms, from surrounding areas, have used unlicensed persons to make removals. Until now, you didn't feel that was your business and you have said nothing. Now, you are being hassled because of other people's illegal practice. You now decide to:

A. Tell the Administrator that you don't have to provide a license number and you won't because he and the staff know you are licensed even if others are not.

B. This is the last straw, you decide to notify your association and/or the license regulating authority of the firms which have used unlicensed persons on removals.

C. You contact each of the three firms who have used only unlicensed men for removals and explain that they are not competing fairly and that if they continue to ignore their public health and welfare responsibilities, you will have to report them.

D. You provide your name and license number and keep what you know to yourself. "Vengeance is mine," sayeth the Lord.

MINI CASE STUDY # 5

Your licensee made arrangements for a funeral with a woman and son who asked that only they be able to view the deceased husband and father. Although there were other family members, your licensee agreed to their wishes.

However, although no obituary notice was released prior to the funeral, other family members arrived at the funeral home where the casket had been opened for the private viewing of the widow and son.

The widow and son arrive, realize that other family members viewed, contrary to the verbal agreement, and are most upset. Later, you receive a letter from an attorney citing breach of contract and asking for consideration on the $7,000 funeral and threatening a suit. Your ethical analysis leads you to one of the following options:

1. Ask the lawyer what he has in mind and settle for up to $500 less.

2. Contact your insurance company and follow their advice.

3. Explain to the family that the casket was open for their viewing and the doors to the viewing room were closed. You couldn't be expected to have guards to prevent entry.

4. Do nothing, just wait and see what develops.

MINI CASE STUDY # 6

In a small local cemetery, the deceased is buried in the wrong grave because the stone was engraved on the wrong side of the marker. You are the only one who knows. You decide to:

A. Call the monument company and explain they should reset the marker or replace it because it caused an improper interment.

B. Tell the cemetery they made an error and you expect them to disinter and reinter, pronto.

C. Contact your client. Carefully explain the circumstances and offer to assist in implementing whatever action needs to be taken.

D. Sit on it. It is not your problem. Proverbs says, "Someone getting into an argument which is not theirs is like pulling the ears of a dog."

MINI CASE STUDY # 7

In making arrangements for an SSI/Medicaid applicant, the family suggests that you make arrangements for more money than they actually intend to spend on the funeral at time of death, enlisting your assistance to help shelter assets. Your response is:

A. If the funeral is normally $4,800, you could go as high as $5,500 and still feel comfortable.

B. Quietly, but clearly state that you could not consider such an arrangement and offer to withdraw as the provider.

C. Make the arrangement for whatever amount they choose to spend. If they step down in merchandise selection, later, this is an accommodation you should honor. The client is the boss.

D. Counsel the family that in the long run their interests are best achieved by trusting what they really expect to spend.

MINI CASE STUDY #10

John was just 18 when he was killed in a car crash. It was a tragedy for the family, friends and school. There was a large visitation on Tuesday and a full house for the funeral.

When you close the sealer casket, before the start of the service, the mechanism simply didn't work and the seal didn't occur. You don't have a comparable unit. The cemetery is small and is adjacent to houses which have a view of the cemetery area. What do you do?

A. Say nothing because the vault is a sealer so no harm is done. The family has enough grief.

B. Quietly notify the family. Explain the circumstance. Agree to reduce the price to a non-sealer level and let the family decide what to do.

C. Proceed with the funeral. Then, return the remains to the funeral home, borrow or order the right casket and have commital later in the week.

D. Call the supplier and request large consideration for the family.

MINI CASE STUDY #15

Mr. Lavender died. He was a prominent person in the community. His wife preceded him in death a year ago. There are four adult children. Two wish to cremate their father and two wish to have earth burial. All agree there should be a visitation and services. They look to you for resolution.

A. You explain the benefits of cremation and burial, explaining that earth burial would be more expensive because of the need for a vault, opening and closing charge and a grave space.

B. You inquire whether the mother's burial was satisfactory and if so, would it be reasonable to be equitable.

C. You explain you will proceed on whatever basis the family can mutually agree to and you are available to answer questions or provide information.

D. You suggest they seek counsel.

MINI CASE STUDY #23

Regional organ banks have been encouraging more tissue and organ donations as well as harvesting of long bones and taking of skin. There have been some undue delays and some complications which affect presentation of the remains.

A. Medical technology is capable of saving lives. Recognize that this may include some inconvenience. Put the best construction on everything and always be prepared to reinforce a family's decision to have a donation.

B. Meet with the organization, outline your experiences on delays and problems on excess harvesting and offer to cooperate with the organization as a team member.

C. Explain to the family that they can expect surprise delays you can't control and that the harvesting process raises your cost of operation and charges may be $50-$150 more than if a donation was not involved.

D. Tell the organization they are getting paid and you expect them to pick up your additional costs for restoring the remains to a viewable condition.

MINI CASE STUDY #28

There is a physician in your community who consistently uses a cause of death which is convenient and common. Just from your own knowledge of your families, you know the physician has taken liberties in designating the cause. You feel it is most appropriate to:

A. Check with your colleagues in funeral service to see if their experiences are similar.

B. Ask to discuss the matter with the physician. Then, explain your observations and encourage him to consider your mutual discussions.

C. File the certificates and remain silent on the matter. You are not a designated inspector.

D. Report your concerns to the appropriate health officials and suggest they examine the pattern of his cause of death designations.

MINI CASE STUDY #31

It is your firm's usual recommendation that the casket be closed prior to the church service. The clergy person has a preference or policy that the casket should be open during the service.

A. Tell the family you feel obliged to follow their wishes whether to leave the casket opened or closed.

B. Explain your recommendation to the clergy person and remind that individual the family came to you for the services.

C. Notify the family of the clergy person's preferences and suggest that unless they have strong feelings otherwise, the clergy's wishes should be honored.

D. Be like Frank Sinatra and do it "your way."

MINI CASE STUDY #35

Mrs. Thoughtful made her prearranged, prefunded funeral agreement with you four years ago. There is now $5,000 in trust which would more than adequately cover her selected arrangements. At her death, the family decides that instead of the traditional funeral service she chose, they prefer a direct cremation, followed by a memorial service as this would dramatically decrease the amount to be spent. You decide the proper approach is:

A. Explain to the family that funerals are indeed for the living and make the requested change.

B. Inform the family that if you conduct the funeral, as arranged, there would still be almost $400 remaining.

C. Tell the family that your state allows liquidated damages for cancellations plus administrative fees. But, if they still want to proceed, you will honor their wishes.

D. Quietly remind the family that the deceased had specific wishes, that the requests were within her right to make and that you agreed to perform as she indicated.

MINI CASE STUDY #36

Following a death resulting from an accident, the coroner directs that the remains be transferred to the nearest funeral home. The deceased was from another town. The family, when notified, asks you to take charge of the funeral. The family explains their wishes to the funeral director who made the removal.

When you call to make arrangements to remove the remains from the funeral home you are told to bring a check for $250 because the accident was severe.

A. You explain to the funeral director that you will pay him when you are paid.

B. You take a $250 check and thank the funeral director for his work.

C. You ask him to document why the bill is $250 when no embalming was involved.

D. You explain that he, by law, cannot reasonably hold the body for payment.

MINI CASE STUDY #46

You are aware that a fellow employee uses drugs on the job. Another friend encourages you to confront the person instead of informing the funeral home manager or owner.

A. You speak to the alleged user and encourage him to get help.

B. You elect to tell your supervisor that you suspect an employee is using drugs on the job.

C. You confront the alleged user and tell him either to quit using drugs or you will "turn him in."

D. Remain silent. Hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil.

MINI CASE STUDY #47

You are in charge of your firm's effort to promote ethical decision making. The results of a survey you complete regarding the perceived ethical standards of your firm are on the negative side. What do you do with the report?

A. Since the results of the survey are in direct conflict with what you believe to be true regarding your firm's perceived ethics, ignore the findings.

B. Review the report with the owner and get his/her opinion.

C. Conduct a new survey to double check your original findings.

D. Prepare a list of recommendations and share your ideas with the owner.

MINI CASE STUDY #48

A family you have served calls you for advice. As a result of a car accident, their teenage son is on a respirator and will not recover. The doctor has asked them to consider organ and tissue donation, including eye enucleation. The procuring agency takes long bones, skin and you would have tremendous reconstruction job on your hands. You counsel by saying:

A. In addition to the extra cost for reconstructing, the family might well expect swelling from the enucleation.

B. It will be difficult to predict just how soon the funeral can be held. You can't project when you will receive the remains or the conditions you will need to overcome.

C. If this act of giving is one they feel comfortable with, you would recommend they ask the procurer to pay for your extra costs.

D. You encourage the family and commend them for their willingness to let the son's remains provide life opportunities to others.

MINI CASE STUDY #55

You have overheard licensees in the preparation room telling unseemly, inappropriate stories while completing an embalming. What do you do?

A. Say, "This habit of being disrespectful is not professional, so let's find something worthwhile to talk about."

B. Let it go, the dead person doesn't know anyway.

C. Speak to each of the persons with the offending behavior, but do it individually.

D. Tell the owner.

FEA Constitution
Manual of Professional Practice, Part I
Manual of Professional Practice, Part II
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Example Examination
Biblical References
Common Sense and Everyday Ethics, Part I
Common Sense and Everyday Ethics, Part II

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