Alternative Death Care 🫨

The Mortuary Show

Episode 117: We're taking a closer look at the community death care movement with funeral director and advocate William Turner Heath. From the growing shift towards personalized, alternative end-of-life practices to the role of death doulas, we’re diving into how the funeral industry is changing—and why it needs to.

We'll talk about how funeral homes can better serve diverse communities, adapt to modern consumer needs, and why some death doulas are steering clear of becoming funeral directors (hint: it’s got a lot to do with industry toxicity). Oh, and did we mention psychedelics in end-of-life care? Yeah, we're going there too.

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation that’s anything but business as usual.

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Show Notes:

(07:45) – End of life doulas.

(15:32) – Can bridges be built?

(21:06) – What are some of the most adaptive things out there?

(38:08) – Psychedelics.

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Takeaways

• The community death care movement advocates for personalized and alternative end-of-life practices.
• End-of-life doulas play a crucial role in providing holistic care and support during the dying process.
• Funeral homes need to adapt to changing consumer preferences and modernize their services.
• There is a need for better communication and collaboration between funeral directors and end-of-life doulas.
• The traditional funeral industry is facing challenges due to staff shortages and resistance to change. Funeral homes need to be more flexible and adaptable to different types of services
• Cultural humility is important in serving diverse communities
• The community death movement is growing, and there is a need for legal support and guidance
• Death doulas are reluctant to become licensed funeral directors due to the sexism and toxicity in the industry
• Psychedelics are being explored for their therapeutic value in end-of-life care