Infection Prevention and Control for the Safe Management of a Dead Body in the Context of COVID-19

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Infection Prevention and Control for the Safe Management of a Dead Body in the Context of COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control for the safe management of a dead body in the context of COVID-19 Interim guidance 24 March 2020 Background Preparing and packing the body for transfer This interim guidance is for all those, including managers of from a patient room to an autopsy unit, health care facilities and mortuaries, religious and public mortuary, crematorium, or burial site health authorities, and families, who tend to the bodies of persons who have died of suspected or confirmed COVID-19. • Ensure that personnel who interact with the body (health care or mortuary staff, or the burial team) These recommendations are subject to revision as new apply standard precautions,2,3 including hand evidence becomes available. Please refer to the WHO website hygiene before and after interaction with the body, for updates on the virus and technical guidance. and the environment; and use appropriate PPE according to the level of interaction with the body, including a gown and gloves. If there is a risk of Key considerations splashes from the body fluids or secretions, personnel should use facial protection, including • COVID-19 is an acute respiratory illness caused by the use of face shield or goggles and medical mask; COVID-19 virus that predominantly affects the • Prepare the body for transfer including removal of lungs; all lines, catheters and other tubes; • Based on current evidence, the COVID-19 virus is • Ensure that any body fluids leaking from orifices are transmitted between people through droplets, contained; fomites and close contact, with possible spread • Keep both the movement and handling of the body through faeces. It is not airborne. As this is a new to a minimum; virus whose source and disease progression are not • Wrap body in cloth and transfer it as soon as possible yet entirely clear, more precautions may be used to the mortuary area; until further information becomes available; There is no need to disinfect the body before • Except in cases of hemorrhagic fevers (such as – transfer to the mortuary area; Ebola, Marburg) and cholera, dead bodies are – Body bags are not necessary, although they may generally not infectious. Only the lungs of patients be used for other reasons (e.g. excessive body with pandemic influenza, if handled improperly fluid leakage); and during an autopsy, can be infectious. Otherwise, • No special transport equipment or vehicle is cadavers do not transmit disease. It is a common required. myth that persons who have died of a communicable disease should be cremated, but this is not true. Cremation is a matter of cultural choice and available resources;1 Funeral home/ mortuary care • To date there is no evidence of persons having • Health care workers or mortuary staff preparing the become infected from exposure to the bodies of body (e.g. washing the body, tidying hair, trimming persons who died from COVID-19; nails, or shaving) should wear appropriate PPE • People may die of COVID-19 in the health care according to standard precautions (gloves, facilities, home or in other locations; impermeable disposable gown [or disposable gown • The safety and well-being of everyone who tends to with impermeable apron], medical mask, eye bodies should be the first priority. Before attending protection); to a body, people should ensure that the necessary • If the family wishes only to view the body and not hand hygiene and personal protective equipment touch it, they may do so, using standard precautions (PPE) supplies are available (see Annex I); at all times including hand hygiene. Give the family • The dignity of the dead, their cultural and religious clear instructions not to touch or kiss the body; traditions, and their families should be respected and • Embalming is not recommended to avoid excessive protected throughout; manipulation of the body; • Hasty disposal of a dead from COVID-19 should be • Adults >60 years and immunosuppressed persons avoided; should not directly interact with the body. • Authorities should manage each situation on a case-by-case basis, balancing the rights of the family, the need to investigate the cause of death, and the risks of exposure to infection. -1- Infection Prevention and Control for dead body management in the context of COVID-19: Interim guidance Autopsy, including engineering and placed on a surface for at least 1 minute.7 Hospital-grade disinfectants may also be used as environmental controls long as they have a label claim against emerging • Safety procedures for deceased persons infected viruses and they remain on the surface according to manufacturer’s recommendations; with COVID-19 should be consistent with those • Personnel should use appropriate PPE, including used for any autopsies of people who have died from respiratory and eye protection, when preparing and an acute respiratory illness. If a person died during using the disinfecting solutions; and the infectious period of COVID-19, the lungs and • Items classified as clinical waste must be handled other organs may still contain live virus, and and disposed of properly according to legal additional respiratory protection is needed during requirements. aerosol-generating procedures (e.g. procedures that generate small-particle aerosols, such as the use of Burial power saws or washing of intestines); • If a body with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 is People who have died from COVID-19 can be buried or cremated. selected for autopsy, health care facilities must ensure that safety measures are in place to protect • Confirm national and local requirements that may those performing the autopsy;4 dictate the handling and disposition of the remains. • • Perform autopsies in an adequately ventilated room, Family and friends may view the body after it has been prepared for burial, in accordance with customs. i.e. at least natural ventilation with at least They should not touch or kiss the body and should 160L/s/patient air flow or negative pressure rooms wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after the with at least 12 air changes per hour (ACH) and viewing; controlled direction of air flow when using • Those tasked with placing the body in the grave, on mechanical ventilation;5 the funeral pyre, etc., should wear gloves and wash • Only a minimum number of staff should be involved hands with soap and water after removal of the gloves once the burial is complete. in the autopsy; • Appropriate PPE must be available, including a scrub suit, long sleeved fluid-resistant gown, gloves Burial by family members or for deaths at home (either two pairs or one pair autopsy gloves), and face shield (preferably) or goggles, and boots. A In contexts where mortuary services are not standard or particulate respirator (N95 mask or FFP2 or FFP3 or reliably available, or where it is usual for ill people to die at home, families and traditional burial attendants can be its equivalent) should be used in the case of equipped and educated to bury people under supervision. aerosol-generating procedures.6 • Any person (e.g. family member, religious leader) preparing the deceased (e.g. washing, cleaning or dressing body, tidying hair, trimming nails or Environmental cleaning and control shaving) in a community setting should wear gloves for any contact with the body. For any activity that Human coronaviruses can remain infectious on surfaces for may involve splashing of bodily fluids, eye and up to 9 days.7 COVID-19 virus has been detected after up to mouth protection (face shield or goggles and 72 hours in experimental conditions.8 Therefore, cleaning the medical mask) should be worn. Clothing worn to environment is paramount. prepare the body should be immediately removed • The mortuary must be kept clean and properly and washed after the procedure, or an apron or gown ventilated at all times; should be worn; • Lighting must be adequate. Surfaces and • The person preparing the body should not kiss the instruments should be made of materials that can be deceased. Anyone who has assisted in preparing the easily disinfected and maintained between body should thoroughly wash their hands with soap autopsies; and water when finished; • Instruments used during the autopsy should be • Apply principles of cultural sensitivity and ensure cleaned and disinfected immediately after the that family members reduce their exposure as much autopsy, as part of the routine procedure; as possible. Children, older people (>60 years old), • Environmental surfaces, where the body was and anyone with underlying illnesses (such as prepared, should first be cleaned with soap and respiratory illness, heart disease, diabetes, or water, or a commercially prepared detergent compromised immune systems) should not be solution; involved in preparing the body. A minimum • After cleaning, a disinfectant with a minimum number of people should be involved in concentration of 0.1% (1000 ppm) sodium preparations. Others may observe without touching hypochlorite (bleach), or 70% ethanol should be the body at a minimum distance of 1 m; -2- Infection Prevention and Control for dead body management in the context of COVID-19: Interim guidance • Family and friends may view the body after it has https://www.who.int/publications-detail/standard- been prepared for burial, in accordance with customs. precautions-in-health-care (accessed They should not touch or kiss the body and should March 22, 2020). wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water 3. World Health Organization. (2020). Infection following the viewing; physical distancing measures prevention and control during health care when should be strictly applied (at least 1 m between COVID-19 is suspected: interim guidance, people). 25 January 2020. • People with respiratory symptoms should not https://www.who.int/publications-detail/infection- participate in the viewing or at least wear a medical prevention-and-control-during-health-care-when- mask to prevent contamination of the place and novel-coronavirus-(ncov)-infection-is-suspected- further transmission of the disease to others; 20200125.
Recommended publications
  • Grief and Cultural Competence: Hispanic, African American, & Jewish Traditions
    Grief and Cultural Competence: Hispanic, African American, & Jewish Traditions 3 CE Hours Dr. Candi K. Cann, Ph.D. Funeral Service Academy PO Box 449 Pewaukee, WI 53072 www.funeralcourse.com [email protected] 888-909-5906 Course Instructions Each of the course PDFs below contain a preview of the final exam followed by the course material. The exam is identical to the final exam that you will take online after you purchase the course. You may use this exam preview to help you study the course material. After you purchase the course online, you will be taken to a receipt page which will have the following link: Click Here to Take Online Exam Simply click on this link to take the final exam and receive your certificate of completion. 3 Easy Steps to Complete a Course: 1. Read the course material below. 2. Purchase the course online & take the final exam. 3. Print out your certificate. If you don’t pass the exam, no problem – you can try it again for free! Funeral Service Academy PO Box 449 Pewaukee, WI 53072 [email protected] Final Exam - PREVIEW Course Name: Grief and Cultural Competence: Hispanic, African American, & Jewish Traditions (3 CE Hours) HISPANIC MODULE 1. Currently, Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States: ________ of the total United States population in the 2013 census. a. 38.7% b. 29.4% c. 21.6% d. 17.1% 2. The body of the deceased plays an active role in the Hispanic tradition, from the wake and rosary to the funeral mass and burial, and is a central “actor” in the religious rituals remembering the dead.
    [Show full text]
  • Uses of Pathological Testimony and Autopsy Reports at Trial J
    University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law Bowen Law Repository: Scholarship & Archives Faculty Scholarship 1983 When Death is the Issue: Uses of Pathological Testimony and Autopsy Reports at Trial J. Thomas Sullivan University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://lawrepository.ualr.edu/faculty_scholarship Part of the Constitutional Law Commons, and the Criminal Procedure Commons Recommended Citation J. Thomas Sullivan, When Death is the Issue: Uses of Pathological Testimony and Autopsy Reports at Trial, 19 Willamette L. Rev. 579 (1983). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Bowen Law Repository: Scholarship & Archives. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Bowen Law Repository: Scholarship & Archives. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WHEN DEATH IS THE ISSUE: USES OF PATHOLOGICAL TESTIMONY AND AUTOPSY REPORTS AT TRIALt J. THOMAS SULLIVAN* "Death is at the bottom of everything... Leave death to the professionals. " Calloway, The Third Man Trial lawyers often must present or confront evidence concern- ing the death of a party, victim or witness in the course of litigation. Clearly, the fact of death is a key issue considered in homicide' and wrongful death actions.' It may also prove significant in other pro- ceedings, either as the focal point of litigation-as in contested pro- bate matters-or in respect to some collateral matter, such as the death of a witness who might otherwise testify.' Generally, the party t Copyright, 1982 * B.A., University of Texas at Austin; J.D., Southern Methodist University; LLM Can- didate, University of Texas at Austin; Appellate Defender, New Mexico Public Defender Department.
    [Show full text]
  • Muslim Cemeteries Comparision-April 1-2021
    RAHMA FUNERAL HOME Page #1 7810 Spring Valley Road, Dallas, TX 75254 Phone: 972‐386‐0383, Fax: 972‐386‐0388 Updated: April 1, 2021 . Muslim Muslim Restland, Al-Baqi, Rolling Ar-Rawdah, Laurel Land, Charges Cemetery, Cemetery, Dallas Arlington Oaks, Joshua Dallas Denton Farmersville Coppell 12 3 4567 Rahma Funeral Home $ 1,775.00 $ 1,775.00 $ 1,775.00 $ 1,775.00 $ 1,775.00 $ 1,775.00 $ 1,775.00 Grave Plot $ 500.00 Donation Call Restland $ 2,750.00 $ 1,495.00 $ 750.00 $ 1,800.00 Concrete Box $ 450.00 $ 450.00 $ 850.00 $ 850.00 $ 600.00 $ 850.00 $ 850.00 Cemetery Admin fee $ - $ - $ 95.00 $ - Incl.$ 80.00 Incl. Open/Close of Grave $ 450.00 $ 450.00 $ 1,795.00 $ 1,895.00 $ 1,200.00 $ 800.00 $ 1,273.00 Grave Plate/Marker $ 125.00 $ - Optional Optional$ 638.18 $ 300.00 Optional Concrete Box Installation $ - $ - $ 425.00 $ 295.00 $ - $ - $ 295.00 Kafan $ 100.00 $ 100.00 $ 100.00 $ 100.00 $ 100.00 $ 100.00 $ 100.00 5 Death Certificates $ 32.00 $ 32.00 $ 32.00 $ 32.00 $ 32.00 $ 32.00 $ 32.00 $ 3,432.00 $ 2,807.00 $ 4,772.00 $7,697.00 $ 5,840.18 $ 4,687.00 $ 6,125.00 Additional Open/Close Expenses may apply Same day Burial within 24 hours $ - $ - $ 500.00 $ - $ - $ 400.00 $ - Saturday Burial $ - $ - $ 600.00 $ 450.00 $ - $ 450.00 $ 450.00 Sunday Burial $ - $ - $ 995.00 $ 1,495.00 $ 300.00 $ 800.00 $ 1,495.00 Holiday Burial $ 50.00 $ 50.00 None None None$ 650.00 None Death Certificates Depends on number of copies (1st $20.00, extera $3.00 each) 5 death certificates $32 Autopsy care $400 Escort $125/Bike Use of Facility at IATC $150.00 Transportation
    [Show full text]
  • United States V. Vasquez Funeral Home
    SCOTT R. LASSAR United States Attorney JOAN LASER Assistant United States Attorney BILL LANN LEE Acting Assistant Attorney General Civil Rights Division JOHN L. WODATCH, Chief L. IRENE BOWEN, Deputy Chief EDWARD MILLER PHYLLIS COHEN Trial Attorneys U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Disability Rights Section Post Office Box 66738 Washington, D.C. 20035-6738 (202) 514-3422 Attorneys For Plaintiff United States of America UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS EASTERN DIVISION ) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) No. 99 C 1794 ) VASQUEZ FUNERAL HOME, ) Judge Gettleman ) Defendant. ) PLAINTIFF UNITED STATES’ POST TRIAL BRIEF Table of Contents Table of Authorities ....................................................................................................................... iii I. Introduction..........................................................................................................................1 II. The Evidence at Trial Demonstrates That the United States Has Proven its Factual Allegations and That the Defendant’s Story Is Simply Not Credible..................................4 A. The United States’ Witnesses Are More Credible than Mr. Vasquez and Their Testimony and the Weight of the Evidence Demonstrates That Mr. Vasquez Committed Illegal Discrimination .................................4 B. Vasquez’s Testimony Is Inconsistent With Prior Statements and Internally Inconsistent..................................................................................9 C. Vasquez’s
    [Show full text]
  • Your Guide to Hospice Care If You Have an Emergency, Call Us Anytime, Day Or Night
    Your guide to hospice care If you have an emergency, call us anytime, day or night. Our nurses are here 24/7 to assist you. Call us anytime you need us. If you are in pain, not comfortable, feeling stressed or just need to be reassured, call us — that is why we are here. We will help coordinate your care and ensure you receive services promptly and specifically targeted to meeting your goals and keeping you comfortable. Please call us before visiting the emergency room, seeing a physician or scheduling a test or procedure to determine if it will be covered as part of your hospice care. All services related to the terminal illness or related conditions need to be preapproved by the hospice provider, otherwise the patient will be financially responsible for those services. 3 Open a door to renewed hope When most people think of hospice, the word “hope” rarely comes to mind. Novant Health Hospice is working to change that perception. By definition, hope is the feeling that what is desired is also possible, or that events will turn out for the best. In hospice, we hear our patients and families hope for a positive outcome related to whatever circumstances they are experiencing. To us, hope for our patients means helping them live life to its fullest — spending quality time surrounded by those they love. We focus on going beyond meeting needs to creating special moments in the lives of our patients and their loved ones. We also help prepare family and friends for the loss of a loved one and help them deal with their grief through compassion, counseling and bereavement support.
    [Show full text]
  • Step by Step
    Step by Step Step by First Steps Practical decisions when a loved one dies Preparing for the funeral Next Steps Completing administrative tasks Concluding Steps Settling the estate Step by Step Practical decisions when a loved one dies As a a membership-owned financial services organization, Thrivent is committed to supporting our clients and their communities as Funeral • Checklists • Resources they encounter life’s most important stages, including the loss of a loved one. We hope this offering of comfort expresses our deepest sympathies and support at this time. 22067A R5-21 Step by Step Practical decisions when a loved one dies Funeral • Checklists • Resources © Copyright 2000, 2015. Thrivent. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Preparing for the funeral Quick reference guide This list can help you quickly find the information you need based on where you are in the decision-making process or if you need immediate answers to a specific question. Introduction .................................................................................................. 3 First steps: Preparing for the funeral Quick-help checklist .............................................................................. 7 What to do immediately after a loved one dies ..................................... 9 Making funeral arrangements ............................................................. 18 Next steps:
    [Show full text]
  • Taylor Bros. Funeral Home 2313 Ave. I P.O. Box 669 Bay City, Texas 77404
    Taylor Bros. Funeral Home 2313 Ave. I P.O. Box 669 Bay City, Texas 77404 General Price List These prices are effective as of June 1, 2021 and are subject to change without notice. The goods and services shown below are those we can provide to our customers. You may choose only the items you desire. However, any arrangements you select will include a charge for our basic services and overhead. If legal or other requirements mean you must buy any items you did not specifically ask for, we will explain the reason in writing on the statement we provide describing the goods and services you selected. Basic Services of the Funeral Director and Staff $2,200.00 Our services include: conducting the arrangements conference; planning the funeral; consulting with family and clergy; shelter of remains; preparing and filing of necessary notices; obtaining the necessary authorizations and permits; coordinating with the cemetery, crematory, or other third parties. In addition, this fee includes a proportionate share of our basic overhead costs. This fee for our basic services and overhead will be added to the total cost of the funeral arrangements you select. (This fee is already included in our charges for direct cremations, immediate burials, and forwarding or receiving remains.) Embalming $600.00 Except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law. Embalming may be necessary, however, if you select certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing. If you do not want embalming, you usually have the right to choose an arrangement that does not require you to pay for it, such as direct cremation or immediate burial.
    [Show full text]
  • Crematoria Emissions and Air Quality Impacts
    MARCH 2020 FIELD INQUIRY: CREMATORIA EMISSIONS AND AIR QUALITY IMPACTS Prepared by: Juliette O’Keeffe National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health PRIMARY INQUIRY A municipality received an application from a funeral home risks to nearby communities. This field inquiry therefore to install a cremator within their facility. Objections were focusses on crematoria-related air pollution and human received from nearby residents who were concerned about health risks. potential exposure to harmful emissions. A public health unit was contacted to help answer the following questions: METHODS 1. Do crematoria emit harmful pollutants? A rapid literature search was undertaken for articles related 2. Is there evidence of health impacts due to exposure to to health and air quality issues and their association with crematoria emissions? combustion processes in crematoria. Articles were identified 3. What is standard practice for siting of crematorium in using EBSCOhost (Biomedical Reference Collection: proximity to residential areas? Comprehensive, CINAHL Complete, GreenFILE, MEDLINE 4. What steps can be taken to minimize crematoria with Full Text, Urban Studies Abstract) and Google Scholar. emissions to reduce exposure risks? Terms used in the search included variants and Boolean operator combinations of (cremat* OR “funeral home”) AND BACKGROUND (health OR illness OR irrita* OR annoy* OR emission OR “air In Canada, preference for cremation over burial has been quality”). Inclusion criteria were publication date (no date increasing since the 1950s. The Cremation Association of restriction), English language, and human subjects. Google North America (CANA) estimated that in 2016 approximately was used to access relevant public agency websites and 70% of human remains in Canada were cremated, and this grey literature including Canadian public health documents may rise to about 80% in 2020.1,2 The increased demand for concerning cremation facilities and examples of current cremation services can only be met by constructing new practices elsewhere.
    [Show full text]
  • Architecture of Afterlife: Future Cemetery in Metropolis
    ARCHITECTURE OF AFTERLIFE: FUTURE CEMETERY IN METROPOLIS A DARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I AT MĀNOA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF ARCHITECTURE MAY 2017 BY SHIYU SONG DArch Committee: Joyce Noe, Chairperson William Chapman Brian Takahashi Key Words: Conventional Cemetery, Contemporary Cemetery, Future Cemetery, High-technology Innovation Architecture of Afterlife: Future Cemetery in Metropolis Shiyu Song April 2017 We certify that we have read this Doctorate Project and that, in our opinion, it is satisfactory in scope and quality in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Architecture in the School of Architecture, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Doctorate Project Committee ___________________________________ Joyce Noe ___________________________________ William Chapman ___________________________________ Brian Takahashi Acknowledgments I dedicate this thesis to everyone in my life. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my committee chair, Professor Joyce Noe, for her support, guidance and insight throughout this doctoral project. Many thanks to my wonderful committee members William Chapman and Brian Takahashi for their precious and valuable guidance and support. Salute to my dear professor Spencer Leineweber who inspires me in spirit and work ethic. Thanks to all the professors for your teaching and encouragement imparted on me throughout my years of study. After all these years of study, finally, I understand why we need to study and how important education is. Overall, this dissertation is an emotional research product. As an idealist, I choose this topic as a lesson for myself to understand life through death. The more I delve into the notion of death, the better I appreciate life itself, and knowing every individual human being is a bless; everyday is a present is my best learning outcome.
    [Show full text]
  • Roseates Newsletter No 46
    Quarterly NEWSLETTER Human Remains Repatriation from/to CHINA www.roseates.com No 46, Fourth Quarter 2019 Doctor takes patients' photos for the final journey THE ROSEATES End-of-life snapshots NEWSLETTER Your guide to human remains repatriation The Roseates Newsletter aims to update our clients and contacts on various topics related to the death of foreigners in China and Chinese abroad. The target audience includes consulates, foreign funeral directors and insurance companies. We welcome our readers to provide questions, comments and insights. CONTENTS Yao Shuai has taken about 10,000 photos from over 400 Introduction: The Roseates patients and their families Newsletter, your guide to One Chinese doctor is doing a bit more for his patients than human remains repatriation just prescribing painkillers or drugs. As the day shift at his Feature: End-of-life hospital ends at 6 pm, Yao Shuai goes to his office, which has snapshots been converted into a simple photo studio. He takes pictures Q&A: Answers to all your of patients set to embark on their final journey, often with questions family members close at hand. But before he takes the Policies: Protesters oppose photos, he asks a question that may seem at first insensitive building a new crematorium in but in actual fact is of immense benefit: “Are you afraid of Wenlou death?” Yao, a resident doctor in the department of cardiology Hongkongers to be allowed to at Tongzhou district hospital of traditional Chinese medicine in choose treatment they want Nantong, Jiangsu province, believes this direct approach is to receive if they become more humane and truthful.
    [Show full text]
  • Frederick Monthly Meeting End of Life Planning Booklet
    Planning Resources For End of Life Care Frederick Monthly Meeting Religious Society of Friends Frederick Monthly Meeting End of Life Planning Booklet Dear Frederick Friends, this is a revised version of Maury River Friends Meeting document entitled, “Planning Ahead: A Gift for my Family: Meeting the Responsibilities or Planning the End of Life.” It is revised to make the text relevant to Frederick Monthly Meeting (FMM) of the Religious Society of Friends as an opportunity to address these issues in a comprehensive and friendly way. Credit must be given to the thoughtful members of Maury River Meeting in Lexington, VA for their very hard and excellent work. I hope that Frederick Friends will consider this document for use in our Meeting. My thanks to all who have participated in this process, Virginia Spencer, Clerk, Ministry and Counsel Committee, 2008. It begins with: Elizabeth Grey Vining’s prayer on reaching her seventieth birthday O God our father, spirit of the universe, I am old in years and in the sight of others, but I do not feel old within myself. I have hopes and purposes, things I wish to do before I die. A surging of life within me cries, “Not yet! Not yet!” more strongly than it did ten years ago, perhaps because the nearer approach of death arouses the defensive strength of the instinct to cling to life. Help me to loosen, fiber and fiber, the instinctive strings that bind me to the life I know. Infuse me with thy spirit so that it is thee I turn to, not the old ropes of habit and thought.
    [Show full text]
  • Humans Are Mortal?! I'm Calling My Attorney
    Humans Are Mortal?! I’m Calling My Attorney Marshall B. Kapp, JD, MPH Florida State University Center for Innovative Collaboration in Medicine & Law [email protected] Excluded from this Discussion • Legal planning to maintain prospective autonomy (control) at the border of life and death during the process of dying (e.g., advance medical directives, “do not” orders) Maintaining Posthumous Control • “Come back to haunt you”—1,340,000 results • “Beyond the grave”—2,890,000 results • “Worth more dead than alive”—1,080, 000 results Using the Law to Create Our Legacies • We all want to be remembered. We are the “future dead of America.” • “The law plays a critical role in enabling people to live on following death. Whenever the law provides a mechanism for enforcing people’s wishes—whether it is with respect to their body, property, or reputation—it gives people a degree of immortality.” Areas of Posthumous Control • Property • Body • Reputation • Creations with commercial value • Limits to posthumous control (e.g., voting) Property • Right to control disposition of property at death (through wills and trusts) to others= power to control the behavior of others – During the property owner’s life – After the property owner’s death • Right to leave property for charitable purposes = – ability to leave a legacy, achieve immortality, perpetuate one’s name (e.g., Marshall’s alma maters). “Naming opportunities” – ability to seek salvation, absolution for past wrongs (e.g., Nobel) • Right to leave property for non-charitable purposes (e.g., care of a pet, build a monument) • Law respects American value of respect for private property.
    [Show full text]