Funeral Service Education

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• correctly embalm a dead human body.
• arrange and direct funeral services.
• properly perform transfer of remains.
• prepare pertinent documents including death certificates, disposition permits, newspaper notices, government benefits forms.
• demonstrate health and safety measures in the preparation room.
• identify and wear business attire relevant for the funeral home setting.
• demonstrate professionalism in a funeral home setting.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• differentiate between historical funeral practices and contemporary funeral service.
• explain the development of the funeral service profession.
• describe inter-professional relationships and responsibilities in funeral service.
• evaluate the basic role of the funeral service practitioner in society.
• compose a list of various career opportunities related to funeral service.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe the application and purpose of sociology in funeral service.
• explain the role of the funeral director in adapting funeral services to a culturally diverse population.
• recognize the family governing systems found in American society.
• compare the different types of family structure.
• investigate the changing social factors that affect American funeral rites and the families that are being served.
• prioritize the responsibilities of the funeral director.
• calculate the time frames in which the services of a funeral director are typically provided (i.e. pre-need, at-need, and post-arrangement follow-up).
• demonstrate proper telephone courtesy and protocol.
• appraise and demonstrate the correct procedures and equipment needed for human body transportation in home, institutional, and field locations.
• apply communication skills necessary to meet with a family in the arrangement conference.
• collect the data necessary to complete a death certificate, disposition permit, social security forms, and veterans benefit forms.
• distinguish between pre-planned and pre-funded funerals.
• identify federal, state, and local regulations used for the disposition of human bodies and specific forms.
• integrate vocabulary associated with funeral service into day-to-day practices in the funeral home.
• determine and identify the primary responsibilities of the funeral practitioner, including regulatory and legislative compliance, and adherence to ethical standards.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• compare and contrast a cross-section of religious customs.
• identify characteristics of adaptive and humanistic ceremonies.
• distinguish characteristics of funeral preferences of different ethnic groups.
• arrange fraternal and military funeral services.
• describe procedures for celebrity funerals.
• apply vocabulary used in funeral service.
• set up and conduct various funeral services.
• compare and contrast the disposition options of human remains.
• classify and describe changing social factors which affect funeral rites and families that are served by funeral practitioners.
• identify how technology affects funeral service sociology.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• distinguish among a tort, crime, and breach of contract pertaining to the funeral business.
• confirm the characteristics of a valid and enforceable funeral contract, negotiable instruments, bailment, and agency relationships.
• explain the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) regarding the sale of goods (i.e. caskets, outer burial containers).
• compare the basic forms of funeral business organizations.
• evaluate the legal relationships, rights, duties, and liabilities among the funeral director, the dead body, and the consumer.
• explain laws and regulations pertaining to funeral service.
• assess legal issues in funeral service in order to avoid liability.
• complete the documents that are required in the funeral service process.
• predict situations when professional services are required for death planning and estate administration.
• critique ethics relating to funeral service.
• explain the difference between legal and ethical issues within the funeral business.
• recommend a standard of ethical behavior with examples of personal and professional conduct.
• integrate vocabulary terms associated with ethical issues and practices in the funeral service industry.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• apply knowledge of merchandising to communicate with colleagues, sales representatives, and the public.
• describe the component parts of funeral merchandise, including materials used, styles, finishes, dimension, and functions of products.
• assess new products and potential innovations for their appropriateness for actual practice.
• compare and contrast historical pricing methods.
• calculate prices for professional service and merchandise.
• evaluate the services and merchandise provided by the funeral director.
• prepare to plan and present product information to the public.
• assess the various methods of merchandise display.
• identify the components of funeral merchandise.
• explain the concepts of pet disposition.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• identify the goals and objectives of funeral service management.
• describe management functions as they relate to funeral service practice.
• recommend contemporary concepts of funeral service management as they relate to client families and community, staff members, and professional associates.
• differentiate the five areas of management and discuss the significant aspects of each.
• prepare a set of operational procedures specific to funeral service.
• create a set of procedures related to disaster management.
• analyze future trends in the funeral service business and in funeral service practice.
• define and discuss the role of funeral service businesses in the economy.
• assess the risks involved with operating a small funeral service business.
• identify ways in which odds for success in small funeral service businesses can be improved.
• evaluate human resource requirements for success in funeral service businesses.
• explain the factors involved in buying a funeral service business.
• explain how credit and collections programs are managed in funeral service businesses.
• assess methods of estimating capital needs and types of financing available for funeral service businesses.
• describe areas of risk management areas in funeral service and types of insurance.
• design a set of marketing tools for a funeral service business.
• identify and use the components of computer hardware and software.
• use and assess funeral management and death certificate software.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• identify and prioritize pathological conditions that require special procedures in the transfer, handling, preparation, and disposition of dead human bodies.
• identify and prioritize etiological factors that require special procedures in the transfer, handling, preparation, and disposition of dead human bodies.
• describe diseases and related terminology and how they affect systems of the human body.
• choose the correct terminology when communicating with members of the medical community, allied professionals, and survivors.
• explain the benefits derived from postmortem examination, anatomical gifts, tissue transplantation, and medical research.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe procedures to obtain written permission to perform any restorative procedure.
• relate specific types of restoration to the correct embalming procedure.
• name and locate the major bony structures of the skull and the major muscles of the face.
• explain how bone structures and muscles influence surface form and expression.
• compare and contrast the different forms of the head and face from direct and profile views.
• describe and explain facial proportions and relate them to the natural form of the facial features and facial restoration.
• identify and describe the various cosmetic, restorative treatments, materials, and equipment.
• select the correct colorants to achieve a natural appearance under various conditions.
• demonstrate basic hair styling.
• classify and explain the principles of color theory to natural appearance.
• classify and explain the principles of pigmentary mixtures, and relate the principles of pigmentary mixtures to cosmetic compounds.
• demonstrate cosmetic application on a model.
• identify and describe the natural and acquired facial markings on the face and neck.
• demonstrate wax or clay modeling of facial features.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• explain the concepts of disinfection, temporary preservation, and restoration of the dead human body.
• relate how the handling, treatment, and disposition of the dead human body meets sociological, psychological, ethical, and regulatory requirements.
• differentiate between the various professional agencies and their responsibilities with respect to the dead human body.
• demonstrate and describe the use of embalming instruments, equipment, and supplies.
• describe the general principles and use of embalming chemicals and summarize their components.
• demonstrate and explain safe work practices concerning exposure to bloodborne pathogens and hazardous chemicals.
• analyze anatomical considerations for injection point selection and describe how the vascular system is used to distribute embalming chemicals to the tissues of the body.
• identify body conditions that will affect the choice of various embalming techniques and the implementation of the proper procedures.
• complete all documentation associated with the care and preparation of the dead human body.
• integrate information from the studies of Microbiology, Pathology, Anatomy, Chemistry, and Restorative Art.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• compare the different embalming processes related to different causes of death.
• use funeral service terminology to communicate with members of the allied health professions and the public.
• describe the correct procedures for raising and incising vessels.
• identify and demonstrate with a suture kit, the various sutures used in closing incisions.
• analyze and document embalming techniques and procedures with written reports.
• compare embalming treatments cases involving infectious disease, trauma, and pathological conditions.
• relate embalming procedures to disaster situations.
• choose the proper chemicals for use in creating an embalming solution.
• describe the proper procedures for embalming an autopsied case.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• recognize and demonstrate the application of general psychology to funeral service.
• describe the values and purposes of the funeral rite for the family and friends.
• recognize and explain all types of grief reactions and responses.
• describe the theories of grief.
• describe issues relating to children and death.
• explain how grief affects families.
• differentiate and explain the types and styles of counseling therapy.
• recognize and explain the major goals of counseling as well as the functions of the counselor.
• utilize and demonstrate basic counseling skills and techniques.
• recognize and explain pre-need, at-need, and post-funeral counseling opportunities.
• recognize, understand, and explain how loss and stress affect the funeral practitioner.
• develop and demonstrate strategies for self-care of the funeral practitioner.
• recognize when and demonstrate how to make referrals to appropriate community or professional resources.