Where will I go after I am gone?

We may not want to admit it, but most of us have given some thought to what we want done with our body after we die. For some of us, these thoughts might only be “aspirational” – informing our loved ones that we’d like our remains scattered from the top of a favorite peak, for example – while others of us may have made all the necessary arrangements, including pre-payment, for the disposition of our remains.

Wherever you fall on the spectrum, it is important to get these desires in writing as part of your estate plan. Often called, “Disposition of Final Remains,” this document details exactly how you would like your body to be treated after you die. Figuring this out can take some time. While many of us are familiar with traditional options such as burial, fire cremation, or body donation, we may not be aware of the range of other options now available to us. Below is a summary of the options available to those of us living in Colorado.

Please note the below is meant for informational purposes only and it is not, nor is it intended to be, funereal advice.

Traditional or Conventional Burial is when a body is placed in a casket and buried in the ground. Traditional burials take place at a cemetery that may require a grave liner and a vault of other burial container (as cemetery policy, not a legal requirement), usually for landscaping purposes. To facilitate final viewings and/or wakes, the body will often be chemically embalmed to help preserve it. In a conventional burial, the body is often placed in a more ornate casket, rather than a simple wood casket or shroud.

Fire-Based Cremation uses flame and heat to reduce the body to bone fragments, or cremains. The fragments are then finely processed and placed in an urn.

Body Donation is a common choice for people who want to advance science, especially if they have a disease with no cure. Typically, a body donation is used for research and training and will go to a medical school or university. The body or cremated remains may or may not be returned to loved one’s after use, so it is important to find this out ahead of time.

Organ, Eye, or Tissue Donation is a donation of specific organs or tissues for use in transplants. After a death, an organ or tissue is surgically removed from one person (the organ donor) and placed into another living person (the recipient). While everyone should consider themselves a potential donor, a medical assessment must be done to determine what organs or tissue can be donated. After donation, bodies are returned to loved ones.

Green Burial is a method that forgoes embalming, concrete vaults, metal caskets and other non-biodegradable materials. The result is a smaller carbon footprint and a minimalization of environmental impacts. Those choosing a green burial will often opt for a wooden casket or a simple shroud. Those pursuing cremation can opt for eco-friendly urn options ranging from wood to paper, to those designed to dissolve in water.

Natural Organic Reduction (NOR), sometimes referred to as human composting, is a process where the body is composted in a container with organic materials. Over the course of three to six months, these materials help turn the body into nutrient rich soil. NOR not only has a low carbon footprint, it also helps restore the land and sequesters carbon. (Note the soil created cannot be used to grow food for human consumption).

Alkaline hydrolysis, also known as Water Cremation or Aquamation, uses water and alkali similar to liquid soap to dissolve body remains. The process takes longer than a fire cremation and creates a white ash, similar to those created through a fire donation, and a water solution that are filled with nutrients that can be used to grow plants. Aquamation has a smaller environmental impact that traditional fire cremation.

These are some of the more common options now available in Colorado. To learn more about these, or to get help in putting your plans into writing, contact me today.

DISCLAIMER: Good Death Matters LLC is not a licensed medical, legal, or tax professional, nor is it considered a funeral establishment. Any information provided by Good Death Matters LLC and its representatives is intended for informational purposes only and it is not, nor is it intended to be, medical, legal, financial, tax, or funereal advice.