Deathcare
Encyclopedia
Deathcare is the industry that provides products or services for the burial
or cremation
of the dead.
. Funerals are among the most expensive purchases many consumers will ever make; most often, a consumer goes through the decision making for this process once, so that there is little experience, and often few sources of information are used; and those making funeral decisions may be under time pressure and significant emotional duress. Funeral homes are regulated under the Funeral Industry Practices Rule.
s, approximately 115,000 cemeteries, 1,155 crematories, and an estimated 300 casket
sellers. The total U.S. deathcare industry is $11 billion. Enough embalming fluid is buried every year to fill eight Olympic-size pools; more steel (in coffins alone) than was used to build the Golden Gate Bridge; and enough reinforced concrete to construct a two-lane highway from New York to Detroit.
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
or cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
of the dead.
Consumer protection
A number of factors make this business unique from the customer's point of view, according to the Federal Trade CommissionFederal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
. Funerals are among the most expensive purchases many consumers will ever make; most often, a consumer goes through the decision making for this process once, so that there is little experience, and often few sources of information are used; and those making funeral decisions may be under time pressure and significant emotional duress. Funeral homes are regulated under the Funeral Industry Practices Rule.
Statistics
In the United States alone, there are more than 22,000 funeral homeFuneral home
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
s, approximately 115,000 cemeteries, 1,155 crematories, and an estimated 300 casket
Casket
A casket, or jewelry box is a term for a container that is usually larger than a box, and smaller than a chest, and in the past was typically decorated...
sellers. The total U.S. deathcare industry is $11 billion. Enough embalming fluid is buried every year to fill eight Olympic-size pools; more steel (in coffins alone) than was used to build the Golden Gate Bridge; and enough reinforced concrete to construct a two-lane highway from New York to Detroit.