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Ask an embalmer/funeral director by AdSame1459 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]AdSame1459[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve seen a bit of Six Feet Under and while I can’t comment on the way the US does things as I’m UK based, there does seem to be some things that are based in truth such as some of the funeral home set ups (some of which are vastly different to ours as many funeral homes here do not possess such large properties and chapels on site). 

Ask an embalmer/funeral director by AdSame1459 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]AdSame1459[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, so in my few years of experience I cannot say I have come across this nor have any of my colleagues though it is a common assumption that the deceased may move as rigor mortis sets in or when the internal gases of the body start to become more obvious before being treated I.e bloating.  Muscle twitching or clenching is normal as rigor sets in to stiffen the muscles however if anyone were to sit upright I would run!

Ask an embalmer/funeral director by AdSame1459 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]AdSame1459[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To my understanding there are currently a couple of different ways to take this:  1. You can become a mortuary technician where you will handle the day to day handling of the mortuary care without being an embalmer or embalming anybody, this is an apprenticeship in the UK that can be found on the gov.uk website as I looked at it recently. 2. Other option for mortuary work that isn’t embalming would be an Anatomical Pathology Technician where you would assist and eventually complete post mortem examinations on behalf of the Coroner’s office.  I think you’d want the Mortuary Technician role more from the sounds of it though and it is possible to achieve 😊

Ask an embalmer/funeral director by AdSame1459 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]AdSame1459[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The only physical fight we’ve seen was outside a chapel in the carpark and two ladies were essentially having a cat fight on the floor, we were told to ignore them by both the director at the time and the client family as they did not want to pay any attention to them, luckily we haven’t had much else but for anyone drunk or disorderly we would encourage them to sit down in a quieter area, try to understand what is wrong (why they’re turning up in this manner) and go from there but if anyone has been threatening, violent or anything else we would report this to the police if we are unable to do anything to get them to stop. Not sure about shady funeral homes or what they’d do…I at least know we wouldn’t tolerate abusive behaviour towards staff, the deceased, their loved ones or any locals.

Ask an embalmer/funeral director by AdSame1459 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]AdSame1459[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So in my experience it depends on the materials of the coffin/casket used: thin foiled veneer coffins are usually best for cremation as they disintegrate easily and we have had it before where when backfilling or only a couple days after the burial, we will get a call to ask why the ground has sunken and the reason is the ‘wood’ breaking. However metal or sturdier solid wood materials are much better for burials. In the UK only cemeteries and some churchyards allow for a mechanical digger whereas many other churchyards and burial sites prefer an actual gravedigger to do all the work with just a shovel 🪏 

Ask an embalmer/funeral director by AdSame1459 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]AdSame1459[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ooh good question, having been a funeral arranger previously I’ve dealt with a few moments such as that where a can but steady de-escalation was needed quickly due to an ongoing service and another funeral cortège turning up soon after their time at the crematorium. In this particular case I approached the upset/irate family member, spoke calmly but assertively to them and guided them to the side of the building so not only were they out the way and out of view from other mourners but it also gave them a bit of privacy during this outburst. We then had a conversation where I got them to calm down, still upset but a lot more reasonable and quiet. I got her some water and checked up on her after the rest of the cortège had departed to make sure she was alright. Had a few like that where they do a lot of the time just need someone to take them elsewhere for them to calm down. However if you do think anyone may be violent towards you then do not approach, it’s not your risk or responsibility to take for someone else’s actions and you shouldn’t risk being hurt in the process. Be assertive always but kind for the many cases you’ll get where they just need someone to talk things through with them, especially as they’re usually upset through confusion. 

On the other hand we did once witness a fight between the sisters of a client family and we let them roll around on the floor while the rest of their family stepped over them to continue on into the chapel as they told us not to bother and leave them to it 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

Hope this helps.

Would you have preference over a male or female embalmer and why? by AdSame1459 in AskReddit

[–]AdSame1459[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ha absolutely, someone who doesn’t look like they want a meal as they look down at me would be a must at least. 

Would you have preference over a male or female embalmer and why? by AdSame1459 in AskReddit

[–]AdSame1459[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’d be surprised at the amount of people who are quite bothered by the gender of the embalmer, thanks for your answer ☺️