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Hello,
Who am I?
My name is Hannah and I'm a Product Design major from the University of Oregon. For my final senior studio project I wanted to do something meaningful that could help people. After some deliberation, I decided to research the series of events that occur after death, since so many don't know what happens.
This website is intended to be an educational tool that lifts the veil of mystery surrounding the passage of life and better inform the general public of what their options are and who they can talk to. *The information I've collected is meant to be a general guide since every state has different laws regarding death. Before taking any action please check this information with the laws and regulations specific to your state.*
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the legal privilege to make funeral arrangements?
If the deceased designated someone to make choices regarding their disposition, last will and testament, or other notarized legal documents, that preference must be honored. If the deceased hasn't made any preferences known, then the decision falls to the next-of-kin most commonly domestic partner, spouse, children, parents, or sibling.
Who is most likely to plan the funeral?
The average age of the person planning a funeral for their loved one is 60 yrs old but the person most statistically likely to be planning a funeral, changes based on the gender of the deceased. According to the CDC as of 2018, women have a higher life expectancy of 81.2 yrs old while men's life expectancy is 76.2 yrs old. So the spouse of their deceased husband is most likely to be in charge of planning his funeral, while a women's children are most likely to be in charge of organizing her final arrangements.
What's the difference between a will and a living will?
A will deals with what happens with your finances and estate after you pass, while a living will deals with power of attorney when it comes to who is making your health care decisions.
What happens if there are no living next of kin?
Each state has different laws regarding this situation, but usually the county coroner will be in charge of funeral arrangements and will most commonly choose cremation.
What is the hierarchy of next of kin?
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Spouse or domestic partner
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Children
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Parents
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Siblings
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Authorized guardian
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Grandchildren
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Great-grandchildren
8. Niece or nephew
9. Grand niece or nephew
10. Grandparents
11. Aunts or uncles
12. First cousin
13. Second cousin
14. Fiduciary
Resouces
Workbooks
Five wishes book
Everplans resources and guides
Tharp Funeral Home: planning workbook
Fairview family handbook of hospice care
ABA toolkit for POA health care
Education
The San Francisco death and dying video collection
Why We Don’t Talk About Death (But Should) Legacy.com article
Organ Donation Process
Green Burial Council
Alkaline hydrolysis/ flameless cremation
Statistics
National Funeral Directors Association trends statistics
CDC mortality data
Co-op funeral care national attitudes to mortality media report
Dying Matters: death and dying survey report
Choice Mutual life insurance survey
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