There have been reports of dramatic increases in mortality rates because of COVID-19 and/or the vaccine. Nature cited data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicating that almost 15 million died unexpectedly. This is almost three times the number of deaths than actuarial scientists would expect in normal years!
While this is bad news for the people who died, their families and friends, it might be a boom for others.
Let’s think about the Christian holiday of Easter. The body of Christ had to be cleaned and dressed for burial. In today’s times, we haven’t changed this religious ritual. It’s actually become more advanced. And whether one professes to practice Christianity, all religious and perhaps atheists too have a process for honoring the lives of their loved ones who have passed away. And, a specific process for burying the dead. And this is where highly skilled professionals are hired to do the intricate work.
Undertaker Job Responsibilities
How? Undertakers, funeral directors, morticians and embalmers help with the processing of the bodies of our loved ones. Here are the job responsibilities and job tasks: They do the following:
- may sell pre-needs insurance during low business periods
- meet with the deceased person’s family to help them honor their wishes for type of burial (cremation or burial)
- offer counseling to bereaved family, friends and work colleagues of the deceased
- offer casket or urn choices for the family to select
- transport the body from place of death to and from the funeral home
- prepare the dead for funerals, wakes, viewings and burials
- lead the process of preparing the body for burial (they drain blood from the deceased body and replace them with chemicals to slow down the body’s decomposition
- helps the family to compose memorial, legacy pages and obituary notices, and funeral bulletin to be published in the local paper and distributed during events
- schedule and coordinate event planning for funeral, wakes, viewings and burials
- dress the body, style the hair, paint fingernails, hide blemishes and cover to the best of their ability fatal wounds to make the body presentable
Mortician, Undertaker, Embalmer, Funeral Director Job Responsibilities and License Requirements
Professionals highly trained in preparing deceased bodies for cremation and burial must adhere to state regulations. The license requirements vary by state. But typically, morticians must meet these basic conditions:
- Be an adult (either 18 or 21 years old depending upon the state’s definition of adulthood)
- Possess a high school diploma or GED
- Obtain a mortuary science or related degree
- Pass the state’s mortuary science exam
- Apprentice under an experienced mortician from one to three years