How to Write a Thank-You Note After a Funeral
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As we officially enter the holiday season, now is the perfect time to focus on how to give thanks. In a previous post, we encouraged friends and family to take time to be thankful in the midst of grief. This Thanksgiving, we want to focus on another aspect of thankfulness…how to write a thank-you note […]
Continue ReadingGrief During the Holidays
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No matter the season, people struggle whenever they lose a loved one to death. But when someone you love dies during the holidays; you may find yourself more depressed than if the loss had occurred at another time of the year. And, this year, depression is already at an all-time high due to the pandemic […]
Continue ReadingVeteran Memorials
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In the midst of civil unrest, a pandemic, and election discord now is the perfect time to take a breather and focus on something upon which we can all agree. Military members deserve to be honored in life as well as in death. As we celebrate Veteran’s Day 2020, we want to thank everyone who […]
Continue ReadingNational Alzheimer’s Disease Month & Pre-Planning
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November is National Alzheimer’s Diseases Awareness Month. The campaign was created in 1983. It raises awareness and challenges the stigma about the disease, which impacts 5.4 million Americans and their families. Dementia is a concern for funeral homes. Although it attacks the brain rather than the body, it eventually claims the lives of its victims. […]
Continue ReadingDay of the Dead/Dia del Los Muertos
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A popular form of Halloween décor in Mexico, as well as in parts of the United States, includes colorful skulls (Calaveras), associated with the Day of the Dead. Translated Dia de Los Muertos, the holiday coincides with Halloween because they both are celebrated around the same time each year. Also, each event honors people who […]
Continue ReadingGrief Care Package
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Across the country, COVID-19 restrictions limit the number of people who can attend funeral services. This is especially true in Southern California, where Foothill Funeral & Cremation is located. As a result, we need to adapt and learn how to support people who are grieving, even if we can’t show up in person. Of course, […]
Continue ReadingBreast Cancer Awareness
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Breast cancer claims the lives of roughly 43,000 women in America each year. Men also get the disease, although in much smaller numbers. Even so, approximately 520 men will die from breast cancer in America this year. In hopes of reducing the number of associated deaths, as a public service, we are dedicating this week’s […]
Continue ReadingZombie Apocalypse
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Long before The Walking Dead premiered in 2010, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)posted blogs about how to prepare for a zombie apocalypse. Appearing every October, in celebration of Halloween, these posts were light-hearted attempts to encourage people to pay attention to an otherwise dull but important topic – disaster preparation. The idea […]
Continue Reading5 Pandemic Positives
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It’s easy to focus on the negative side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With so much death, loss and change, many grow discouraged. As we’ve covered in several recent blog posts, much has changed in the funeral industry as a result of the Coronavirus. But rather than discussing the negative, we challenge you to consider […]
Continue ReadingChoosing Funeral Flowers
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Whether you are choosing a bouquet to honor the life of someone you lost, or are taking a dozen long stem roses as an expression of condolence, flowers speak more than words could ever express. Various funeral flowers symbolize many things. People around the world use them to express everything from joy to sadness, love, […]
Continue ReadingDeath Masks & Funeral Customs
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The wearing of masks has become compulsory for everyone who wants to protect themselves from the Coronavirus pandemic (or otherwise go out in public). So, as you mull over which type of facial covering to don, consider this. People have worn death masks for centuries. They protect people from diseases, demons, wartime side effects, and […]
Continue ReadingGrief in a Pandemic
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While COVID-19 challenges us all, the pandemic has made things especially difficult for people grieving the loss of a loved one. Grief is the unwelcome companion to death. And, even in “ideal” circumstances, mourning is a stressful and painful journey. But while, burial and memorial follow loss, in times of normalcy, the Coronavirus has robbed […]
Continue ReadingHow COVID-19 has Changed the Funeral Industry
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To date, the United States confirms more than four million cases and 145,000 deaths directly attributed to COVID-19. In its wake, over the past five months, the Coronavirus and associated reactions, have impacted virtually every industry – including ours, the funeral industry. COVID-19 & Funeral Industry Services
Continue ReadingHow to Pay Your Respects without a Funeral Service
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Following the death of a loved one during these unprecedented times, regional guidelines may prohibit you from holding a memorial service. Traditionally, one of the most important steps in the healing processes is spending time in mourning, surrounded by supportive family and friends. However, don’t fret if you have not been able to honor the […]
Continue ReadingCremains & Travel
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As we discussed in our blog post last week, handling human cremains infected with COVID-19 requires special care. In our continuing effort to educate people in the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys, Los Angeles Basin and Inland Empire, this week, we take a deeper dive into an associated subject – how to safely and […]
Continue ReadingHow to Handle COVID-19 Remains
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With death rates rising across the world due to COVID-19, funeral directors have peppered the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) with questions about how to safely manage COVID-19 remains. Guidelines vary according to state and local authorities. However, certain policies guarantee best practices across the board. While we recommend you defer to local government officials, […]
Continue ReadingMore About Pandemic Grief
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Part 2 of a 2-Part Series Last week, we began a two-part series about handling pandemic grief. Click here to read the first post. In this blog, we will discuss formal strategies for managing grief in the event you lost someone you love to COVID-19. Grief associated with a death which resulted from Coronavirus may […]
Continue ReadingGrief in a Pandemic
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(Part 1 in a Series) If someone you love died during the COVID-19 pandemic, you likely encountered numerous issues relative to the death. This is true regardless of whether or not the deceased person died as a result of the Coronavirus. Since mid-March, millions of families across the world have encountered unique challenges when someone […]
Continue ReadingHow to Plan a Funeral During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Since mid-March, people have faced tough decisions about Coronavirus as it relates to the death and life celebrations of loved ones. In many cases, with strict social distancing guidelines in place, the state forbids mourners from hosting gatherings of more than 10 people. In LA County, where Foothill Funeral & Cremation is located, California Governor […]
Continue ReadingDeath & COVID-19
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COVID-19 currently dominates headlines and preoccupies our thoughts. So, we wanted to devote a blog post to discuss ways to cope with death in the midst of COVID-19. Although people more often consider the topic of death during a pandemic, we have been working in the funeral industry since 1996. So, we spend a great […]
Continue ReadingPandemic Pre-Planning
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(Part 1 of a 2-Part Series) We have recently fielded lots of calls from people who are concerned about repercussions of COVID-19 relative to their end-of-life planning. With death featured so prominently in the news, we can’t escape thoughts about what would occur if it happens to us. And after working in the funeral industry […]
Continue ReadingGood Habits to Adopt During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Since COVID-19 will likely be around for some time, we need to develop healthy habits to keep safe. At Foothill Funeral & Cremation, we’ve developed Coronavirus-specific protocols to keep our employees and clients as healthy as possible. Click here to read our blog post about our COVID-19 Mortuary Practice. As a public service, we have […]
Continue ReadingPandemics & Plagues
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Very few news outlets these days cover anything besides the COVID-19 pandemic. A quick perusal of social and mainstream media will reveal America’s newfound obsession. But why are we so single-mindedly focused on Coronavirus? Surely other things are happening in the world. When all is said and done, chalk it all up to an underlying fear […]
Continue ReadingBrain Death
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Although people often joke about someone being “braindead,” the reality is no laughing matter. Brain Death is described as the total and irreversible loss of all brain function and the circumstance under which the donation of vital organs most commonly takes place. Another, more detailed definition is: “There is only one kind of death — […]
Continue ReadingDo Not Resuscitate (DNR) Orders
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As we mentioned in last week’s blog post, hospital staff members around the world are considering universal “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) orders for all COVID-19 patients. In a follow-up to the piece which first examined the practice by a reporter for the Washington Post, Forbes maintains that medical personnel still struggle with the decision, as […]
Continue ReadingMortuary Practice & COVID-19
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If someone asks you to find an article or blog post written over the past several weeks not referencing the coronavirus, you would be hard-pressed to comply. The topic has been front-of-mind and top-of-tongue for virtually every person living on Planet Earth. This obsession includes the funeral industry. And while we deal with death on […]
Continue ReadingWhat Could Kill You Besides Coronavirus
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With businesses and school shuttering and media outlets covering Coronavirus stories nonstop, it’s easy to get caught up in fear and worry. After all, to date, there have been 244,526 cases of the illness worldwide and more than 10,000 deaths. The United States reports 13,622 cases and 189 deaths. But allow us to allay your […]
Continue ReadingOverdose: Part 2
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In this blog post, part 2, we wrap up the series by discussing the signs of drug addiction so you can spot them before they result in a tragic overdose. Last week, we started a two-part series about Black Balloon Day, which is March 6, 2020. Click here to read the first entry. Part 2 […]
Continue ReadingFFC Black Balloon Day: Overdose & Grief
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Part 1 of a 2-Part Series Black Balloon Day is March 6, 2020. A national and international event, the campaign is designed to bring awareness to death by overdose. This is a worthwhile endeavor. Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the US, with 72,000 lethal drug overdoses in 2019. Opioid addiction […]
Continue ReadingFuneral Home Price Transparency
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California Consumer Watchdog Groups complain that funeral homes across the Southland continually ignore regulations relative to price transparency. The only state with such code restrictions, California requires funeral directors to provide written prices for goods and services. Called Funeral Home Price Transparency, California legislation [Article 5.5 (7685 – 7685.6)] stipulates the following: Funeral Home Price Transparency […]
Continue ReadingHospice & Palliative Care
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Hospital staff say that family and friends of patients sometimes refuse hospice or palliative care. They do so with the mistaken belief that the treatment will usher in the end of life. However, that is far from the case. Doctors recommend both types of care only after reaching the conclusion that curative treatment options no […]
Continue ReadingGroup Grief: Losing Kobe Bryant
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About a week ago, the world collectively gasped at the unbelievable news that Laker Legend Kobe Bryant and eight other passengers perished in a horrific helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Sudden and sad, reports confirmed the loss of not only Bryant but his 13-year-old daughter as well as coaches and players who everyone agreed died […]
Continue ReadingSuicide
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As funeral directors, our saddest cases often center around the death of a child. But we are equally affected when death is self-inflicted. Suicide is a serious public health problem in the United States, which affects people of all ages. In fact, nearly 800,000 people die by suicide in the world each year, which is roughly one death every 40 […]
Continue ReadingFear of Death
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A new Amy Adams movie centers around the common yet somewhat irrational fear of entering open or crowded spaces or even simply leaving the house, agoraphobia. But thousands of people suffer from a lesser known but equally alarming phobia, the fear of death, AKA Thanatophobia. While many, if not most, people are afraid to die, people […]
Continue ReadingGrief-Busting Tips
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If you lost someone you love in 2019, you may be relieved to usher in the start of a new year. But, at the same time, celebrating anything without the one who died may tie your stomach in knots. Closing the door on beloved traditions may help with closure but might leave you feeling out […]
Continue ReadingHow to Be Thankful in the Midst of Grief: 10 Ideas
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Whether your loved one died near this holiday or in years past, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day can be a trying time for anyone who has experienced loss. In last week’s blog post, we discussed ways to process grief during the holidays. We offered suggestions for navigating the period between November and […]
Continue ReadingThanksgiving Grief
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The holidays often cause even emotionally healthy people to falter. So, is it any wonder that people who have recently lost a loved one to death struggle between the months of November through January? With so many memories tied to the deceased, people who are actively grieving often tell us they wish they could go […]
Continue ReadingYour Funeral Your Way
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Burger King launched a memorable commercial campaign in 1976. You may remember the jingle? “Hold the pickle. Hold the lettuce. Special orders don’t upset us. All we ask is that you let us have it your way.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJMsFGH4eoQ Your Funeral, Have it Your Way The same could be said for the way we approach funeral […]
Continue ReadingAfterlife: What Happens When You Die
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Existential questions have plagued mankind since the days of Adam and Eve. Working in the funeral industry, we often encounter people who wonder what happens after death. Of course, answers to the question are often tied to religious and philosophical beliefs. While we can unequivocally explain what happens to your body scientifically and practically when […]
Continue Reading6 Things to Know about Funeral Etiquette
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All too often, funerals depress most people. In many cases, the atmosphere is sad and dark. While families and friends of the deceased reel over their loss, other mourners huddle on the sidelines, wondering what they should say and do. In a culture where death is treated like an uninvited dinner guest, many funeral attendees […]
Continue ReadingThe Science of Mortuary Science
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Mortuary science is the study of deceased bodies through work typically done at a mortuary. The term most often applies to a college curriculum in the United States which prepares students for careers as morticians or funeral directors. Many who take the coursework also study the related field of embalming. Some states require funeral directors apply as […]
Continue ReadingThe Importance of Closure
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Nothing is as final as death. Unfortunately, however, grieving family members and friends often struggle to come to grips with the finality of their loved one’s passing. Left to pick up the pieces and find the strength to move on, many fail to face the permanent nature of their loss. Denial is, after all, the […]
Continue ReadingReconstruction
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In the 1972 classic movie, The Godfather, Vito Corleone calls upon an undertaker who owes him a favor following the startlingly traumatic shooting death of his son, Sonny. “Look what they did to my son,” he cries, imploring the mortician to work magic so Sonny’s funeral could include an open casket. As far-fetched as it may […]
Continue ReadingThe 5 Best Buried Alive Movies
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A common fear many people have about death is that they’ll be buried alive. Television shows, books and movies reinforce the false narrative that this occurs often. Story lines convince us that our chances of experiencing the living nightmare are much greater than reality confirms. History of Vivisepulture Known in the industry as “premature burial,” […]
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