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DYING AND DEATH: TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Pressures on Survivors
Stress related to funeral ritual varies culturally as well as individually. In traditional societies, funeral rites and preparation of the body were quite specific. These practices limited the stress on survivors because few decisions had to be made. Bereaved people fully understood their individual roles in funeral customs and even anticipated carrying out expected duties. In contrast, funeral practices in the United States today are extremely varied. A great number of decisions have to be made, usually within 24 hours. These decisions relate to the method and details of body disposal, the type Memorial service, display of the body, the site of burial or body disposition, the cost of funeral options, organ donation decisions, ordering of floral displays, contacting friends and relatives, planning for the arrival of guests, choosing markers, gathering and submitting obituary information to newspapers, printing of memorial folders, as well as numerous other details. Even though funeral directors are available to facilitate decision making, the bereaved may experience undue stress, especially in the event of a sudden death. In our society, people who make their own funeral arrangements can save their loved ones from having to deal with unnecessary problems. Even making the decision regarding the method of body disposal can greatly reduce the stress on survivors.
Wills
The issue of inheritance is controversial in some families and should be resolved before the person dies in order to reduce both conflict and needless expense. Unfortunately, many people are so intimidated by the thought of making a will that they never do so and die intestate (without a will). This is tragic, especially because the procedure for establishing a legal will is relatively simple and inexpensive. In addition, if you don\'t make up a will before you die, the courts (as directed by state laws) will make up a will for you. Legal issues, rather than your wishes, will preside.
For example, let\'s explore what happens if you die in Massachusetts without a will. If you are married with no children, everything goes to your spouse. If you have children, one third of your estate goes to your spouse and two thirds go to the children. If you\'re not married, it all goes to your parents. Think about the problems this poses for those who choose to live together or are homosexual: without a will, their partners get nothing. Or think of the problems posed when stepchildren who choose not to support the surviving spouse are involved. Clearly, we all need wills, updated regularly.
In some cases, other types of wills may substitute for the traditional legal will. One of these alternative forms is the holographic will, written in the handwriting of the testator (person who leaves a will) and unwitnessed. Caution should be taken concerning alternatives to legally written and witnessed wills because they are not honored in all states. For example, holographic wills are contestable in court. Think of the parents who never approved of the fact that their child lived with someone outside marriage: they could successfully challenge the holographic will in court.
Organ Donation
Organ transplant techniques have become so refined, and the demand for transplant tissues and organs has become so great, that many people are being encouraged to donate these \"gifts of life\" upon death. Uniform donor cards are available through the National Kidney Foundation, donor information is printed on the backs of drivers\' licenses, and many hospitals have included the opportunity for organ donor registration as a part of their admission procedures. Although some people are opposed to organ transplants and tissue donation, others experience a feeling of personal fulfillment from knowing that their organs may extend and improve someone else\'s life after their own deaths
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GENERAL HEALTH
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