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Page A16 MARCH 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A By Matt Black Embalming Tips & Tools Communication begins with the initial contact or first call. The funeral director must clearly and openly com- municate with the family in order to compile all the de- tails necessary for a meaningful celebration. We as funeral directors must realize that the families we serve are un- educated in the services we offer when their loved one passes. The details and communication are important in designing a personalized, meaningful celebration for the grieving family and imparting value to our service. One area of communication breakdown that often re- sults in negative outcomes for both the family and the funeral director/funeral home is the need for honest and open discussion of a loved one’s appearance. This is never truer than when a death is the result of trauma and is un- expected. I have heard horror stories about lack of commu- nication between the funeral director or arranger and the embalmer. We need communication for a positive result. This communication can start with photos and appearance information about the deceased prior to embalming. We are not always fortunate enough to have a photo prior to embalming. If a photo is received after embalm- ing, the necessary techniques and craft to achieve a pleas- ing and natural appearance is of even greater importance. How many of us have removed facial hair and then spent hours replacing it? Knowledge of weight loss or gain can dictate a plan of action for the embalmer from the start. Families will normally be very candid in discussing any physical or medical changes to the deceased. The Challenges of Embalming Generalized Edema Thorough case analysis is a must when dealing with an edema case. There are many difficulties the em- balmer will encounter with every case. Challenges pre- sented with edema include: • excessive amounts of fluids • swelling • skin slip • leakage • distribution problems • secondary dilution and formaldehyde demand Chemical challenges multiply when we are faced with high levels of nitrogenous waste, ammonia, drugs, edema and imbalanced PH. By themselves, these chemical changes in the body will neutralize formaldehyde. Imagine the feast bacteria would have in the body in these cases. With this abundant amount of water in the body the autolytic enzymes and hydro- lytic enzymes could accelerate decomposition. The ex- tra water generated by the body will influence the PH, secondary dilution and formaldehyde demands. We will continue our discussion of edema cases in the next issue. So, let’s discuss areas to fine tune or re-think our de- tails in the prep room (clinical suite). Every case that en- ters your clinical suite must start with a case analysis and should include both pre and post embalming case analy- sis. This is to determine what conditions and factors you are dealing with and what will be needed to achieve de- sired results. We must not forget that each case we are embalming is very different. Let’s start with the time of death and the all-important time lapse between death and embalming. The longer the time frame, the more demanding your embalming be- comes. Among the factors playing a role in our analysis is the pH change within the body. Recall that alkalinity resulting from high pH will neu- tralize your formaldehyde. Your embalming chemicals might even be neutralized to a decorative liquid. On the other end of the spectrum an acidic pH will polymerize your formaldehyde. Time lapse between death and em- balming as well as medical therapy influences pH. The days of pre-mixing fluids, one bottle mixture, or “grandpa’s recipe” are long forgotten, unless you are look- ing for some paradox to litigation. We can’t function on auto pilot or robot mode and just start our clinical pro- tocol for embalming without thought. We must consider the primary dilution within the embalming machine res- ervoir, but more important, the secondary dilution of the water within the body. The average body is 60% or more water. Matt Black has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the State of Pennsylvania for over 20 years. He represents The Dodge Company in Central and Western Pennsylvania. In addi- tion to being a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortu- ary Science, Matt also holds degrees in Bio-Medical Engineering Technology and Industrial Management. Matt has also attended the Fountain National Academy of Professional Embalming Skills, Springfield, MO, and is licensed in eye and corneal enucleation. He has presented at Dodge Embalming Seminars as well as numer- ous local seminars in Pennsylvania. He can be reached by email at mblack@Dodgeco.com. www.nomispublications.com Funeral Home & Cemetery News Contributors share insights and exchange ideas. Blogs Funeral Supply Store 1-800-392-2936 • www.funeralsupplystore.com Scissor Lift $5,395 FREE SHIPPING! Magnum Mortuary Cot $1,495 00 1,000 lb. Capacity FREE SHIPPING! Dressing Table $895 00 FREE SHIPPING! Elite Mortuary Cot $995 00 600 lb. Capacity FREE SHIPPING! Burgundy Cot Pouch $287 00 Shipping $20.00 Sheldon Grosberg, Garden of Remembrance’s founding executive director, who held the position for 20 years pri- or to his recent passing. As part of his role as exec- utive director of three of the region’s largest synagogues, Easton brings decades of experience managing mul- tiple cemeteries to his new position. He has been presi- dent of both the Jewish Com- munal Service Association of North America and the North American Association of Syn- agogue Executives; has served on the boards of numerous local and national commu- nity and civic organizations; has published in the areas of nonprofit management, fun- draising/development, and technology; and founded an information and manage- ment consulting company that served the nonprofit and faith communities. Garden of Remembrance Memorial Park Names New Executive Director Glenn S. Easton development of expanded grounds to accommodate the future needs of the area’s growing Jewish community. For information about The Garden of Remembrance, visit www.gardenofremem- brance.org or call 301-428- 3000. The Garden of Re- membrance Memorial Park is located at 14321 Comus Road, Clarksburg, MD 20871. CLARKSBURG,MD— The Garden of Remembrance Memorial Park has named Glenn S. Easton as its new executive director, accord- ing to Hank Levine, presi- dent of the 150-acre non- profit cemetery that serves all streams of the Jewish com- munity. Easton, a Jewish communal professional for more than 30 years, follows Easton holds a master’s de- gree in public management and administration from American Jewish University in Los Angeles and a bach- elor’s degree in history from California State Universi- ty, Northridge, including coursework at UCLA and Tel Aviv University. Founded in 2000, The Garden of Remembrance, a partner agency of the Jew- ish Federation of Greater Washington, is the region’s most inclusive Jewish cem- etery. It is the Washington region’s only not-for-prof- it cemetery managed by a board of Jewish community leaders, with sections owned by twenty-six synagogues of all branches as well as exten- sive areas for unaffiliated in- dividuals and families. Lo- cated in Upper Montgomery County, plans include the construction of a chapel and