Ben Whitworth, embalmer, funeral director, education and technical support and sales consultant for the Mazwell Group, considers the real cost of embalming and questions how it is charged out
This article was prompted by a recent conversation with a funeral director about the actual cost of embalming versus what’s charged for it. He wanted to make sure he was charging enough to cover the cost but also to justify the amount at which his company charged it out.
At a time of ever greater public and political attention, it’s an entirely sensible question. The conduct of Elkin and Bell and the recent development in the Legacy Funerals case mean we all need to consider closely not just what we do but how it is seen.
It made me think of an American colleague who got a panicked call from an embalmer requesting paperwork for cavity fluid. The embalmer in question apparently didn’t believe in using it and never purchased it. A
deceased person they had embalmed had purged during the viewing and they were now being sued by the family for mental anguish among other things. No use of cavity fluid was noted on the embalming report, and, in desperation, the embalmer hoped an invoice for such product would prove it was used.
Not using cavity fluid saved the embalmer a few dollars per case. The professional charge for embalming was around $300 plus additions for dressing, casketing and cosmetology. There are differences between
funeral service in the UK and the USA, but this story illustrates how we can damage our own businesses and our profession.
For the sake of a few dollars, the embalmer was sued and the case cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation. Their actions not only affected their business. The value and benefit of embalming was called into question and the biggest question for the public was whether all funeral directors and embalmers tried to cut costs behind the scenes.
How would a story like that play out in the UK press now? And what could a funeral home say to justify the use of a trade embalmer at a cost of £40 per case but a charge of £185 for embalming?
As we face more scrutiny, we must be able to account for everything we do. We must be able to advocate for our profession as well as for those we serve and provide the very best we have to offer at all times. We cannot afford to take any chances.
So how much does embalming really cost? There is no such thing as an average embalming case, which makes calculating the average cost a challenge. We face cases delayed for many days prior to embalming, exhibiting conditions such as jaundice, oedema, tissue gas, skin slip and decomposition, sometimes all together.
I’ve based my calculation on an elderly subject with cause of death related to old age and dementia, removed from their nursing home straight to the mortuary fridge and cleared to embalming five days after death. There’s some dehydration, emaciation to facial features and mild decomposition all over the abdomen. The funeral will be held in two weeks’ time and the family wish to view up to and on the morning of the funeral.
In such a case, I would use a litre of arterial chemical, a litre of a pre co-injection chemical, a litre of water corrective and a litre of a humectant chemical mixed with 6 litres of water to make a 10-litre solution. Following arterial injection and cavity aspiration, I’d use a litre of a suitable cavity fluid. This fluid mix uses a total of 5 litres of neat chemicals.
Based on a case price of 12 x 1-litre bottles of embalming fluid and a 25% volume purchase discount, the total chemicals cost would be £29.83 (exc VAT).
The choice of arterial chemical is based on the condition of the deceased. The use of a pre/co-injection chemical helps to overcome problems associated with delay.
After several days in a cold room or mortuary fridge, many clots will have formed within the circulatory system, and a good pre co-injection chemical will help to break these down and assist with good circulation
throughout the body.
Pre/co-injection chemicals can also feature control mechanisms that allow the formaldehyde in arterial fluids to saturate the tissues of the body more effectively and produce a more thorough embalming.
A water corrective chemical helps to treat the water within the tissues of the body. Water may be hard or soft or have a higher concentration of fluoride or chloride, which all affect the performance of embalming chemicals.
Up to 75% of the human body is water, which can be affected by pre-mortem medications that also affect the embalming chemicals.
A water corrective helps to provide the optimum condition for preservatives to work. A humectant will not only help to fill out the emaciated remains but also prevent post embalming dehydration and boost absorption of the injected fluid.
Sundry items to take into account include disposable personal protection equipment, ligature, eye caps, cotton wool, accessory items, chemicals such as sealants, cauterants and any other products needed to complete the embalming. Let’s say £5-£10 a case.
So far, we’ve spent between £34.83 and £39.83 for one embalming, without the cost of buildings, maintaining an embalming room, running water, drainage, lighting, heating, mechanical ventilation and clinical waste disposal.
What about the embalmer? For an in-house embalmer, we’d need to calculate salary, overtime, national insurance and pension, paid holidays and sickness leave, which will likely be covered by a trade embalmer.
If a company is using a trade embalmer, then depending on the set up, they may only provide a suitable mortuary or embalming room with electricity, water, clinical waste and basic consumables like paper towel.
The embalmer may be expected to supply all chemicals and sundries. Alternatively, the funeral company may provide everything the embalmer requires, the embalmer is simply paid as and when they attend the facility, but this is rare.
I’ve heard of trade embalmers charging anything from £45 to over £150 for a routine case. There are different charges made for the other types of cases that are presented: repatriations, reconstructions, removal of medical implants, infectious cases, specialist treatments for oedema cases and so on.
It is not for me to dictate what you or your embalmers charge. The point is to look at the costs incurred and how the charges to the families we serve are justified. The rest is up to you.
Price is only an issue when there is an absence of value.