Page A16 MAY 2023 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Section A Dunn. He is Kellyn’s 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and offering “puppy support” to everyone. “We are extremely pleased that we have Claytor Rollins in our family and such a great team there. To have Kellyn become licensed and working with her dad is what it is all about,” added Richard. If you are ever in the area, feel free to stop in and meet everyone at Claytor Rollins. As part of Capstone’s commitment to every firm they purchase, they are investing additional funds into facility improvements, rolling stock upgrades, and making sure all employees have a good work/ life balance by offering benefits including paid vacation, health insurance a 401(k) plan. Capstone Services Group is an owner and operator of quality funeral homes and cemeteries with locations in Florida, Virginia, West Virginia and Louisiana. Capstone Services Group is fortunate to be in a financial position where they do not have to borrow from banks or other lending institutions and are completely debt free. This allows them to continue to invest in the businesses they own and more so in the staff and employees who are the key to each location’s success. Please feel free to reach out to Richard Lee at 407257-5024 or contact him through their website at www.CapstoneFuneral.com. This month we will consider issues we face post embalming when we are intending to have an open casket service. Odors and leakage can be of primary concern. I find it interesting when reading/hearing discussions, seeing advertisements or receiving phone solicitations offering commercial products for odor control…I often think how ineffective these products are. When using a scented fragrance to hide or mask an odor, you usually end up with an offensive odor that is still distinguishable along with the overpowering smell of the “odor eliminating” product. Over the years it has been my theory to go to the root of the odor and mitigate it. Something is causing the odor…let’s treat it chemically and make the odor go away! There are a couple of old “stand by” products used by many over the years. There is a very strong powdered chemical that would literally make your eyes water and burn your nostrils. It would treat/stop a topical problem but do nothing to treat an internal issue, plus it let off an offensive chemical odor. Another treatment was charcoal in an open container in the foot end of the casket, which does little to nothing to retard or overcome strong odors of decomposition or necrosis. I’ve seen funeral directors use the deceased’s cologne and perfumes in an attempt to hide odors. Again, this is a futile effort. One of the more significant odor problems is often the result of decomposition. If the embalmer uses a high index chemical and high solution strength arterial solution this is a good first step in stopping decomposition from continuing. Along with an arterial embalming, make sure you perform a thorough aspiration of the abdominal/thoracic region and use an appropriate amount of quality cavity fluid. I suggest repeating this step again in 24 hours if decomposition was advanced. The colon is a breeding ground for bacBy Wally Hooker, CFSP, MBIE teria so we must take these additional measures to ensure we stop bacterial growth and migration, which will chemically end decomposition. Cutting corners on chemical treatment could spell big trouble. We routinely see “bed sores” and necrosis of the buttocks, back, backs of the legs and feet. These indicate gangrene on a living body and give off an incredibly offensive odor. To simply treat these open wounds with a fragrant odor eliminator and wrap in plastics is ineffective, irresponsible and asking for trouble down the road. We must go to the root of the problem and treat it, so that we eliminate the odor. Embalming supply companies offer quality cauterants, which when used properly will stop the odor at its source and treat the surrounding necrotic tissue, as well as prevent future leakage. I suggest covering the necrotic tissue with your chemical of choice, pack it with cotton saturated with your cauterizing chemical, then wrap and cover it tightly with plastic. Wrapping and covering this area with plastics will keep the chemical odor down in your prep room and will also make your chemical work more effectively and penetrate deeper into the tissue. I can’t emphasize enough the importance and effectiveness of this step. I hear from some embalmers complaining about the lack of cauterizing chemicals and supplies in the embalming rooms they operate in. If that is the case, you can use cavity fluid in this step. I find cavity fluid not as effective and a little more difficult to use than a gel type material. I stress the importance in knowing which chemical applications will yield good results, as well as having various specialty chemicals on hand. When you’re in the “heat of the battle” you need immediate access to chemicals to fight back! Many embalming failures are a result of not having proper chemicals available. Embalming 101 A very dangerous and potentially difficult situation to overcome is tissue gas, if it was not treated effectively during arterial embalming. If proper treatment was not achieved during embalming, it can spread like wildfire. A good-looking embalmed body at 4:00 PM could become unrecognizable by morning if tissue gas was present and not stopped. If there are any indications of tissue gas, immediately treat the area with a hypo injection of specialty designed cavity fluid. Also create a chemical barrier between the head and the source of the swelling by injecting a cauterizing chemical. I even suggest a topical application of a hexaphene based gel covered with plastic over the swollen area. It’s a battle we can’t take lightly. If a deceased died from drowning, gangrene infection, a history of recent surgery, or traumatic injuries where there was contact with soil, always be mindful of possible tissue gas. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Be safe and see you next month… Wallace P. (Wally) Hooker CFSP, MBIE, is the owner, funeral director and embalmer of Family & Friends Funeral Home of Wingate, IN. He and his wife, Janet designed, established and built their funeral home in 2004. Wally is a graduate of Worsham College of Mortuary Science, where he serves on the Advisory Board. He is Past President of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association and board member of North American Division of the British Institute of Embalmers. In addition, he has served as chief deputy coroner/investigator of Fountain County, IN for the last 24 years. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.NomisPublications.com Monthly Columnsonline at Post Embalming Treatments: Odors, Leakage & Swollen Tissue ORLANDO,FL— Located in a bedroom community just outside of Newport News, Poquoson, Virginia is a great family town rich in history and home to the annual Poquoson Seafood Festival. It is also home to Claytor Rollins Funeral Home and Crematory, a funeral business that has been serving families in the area for over 112 years. But even more importantly is George Hamann, the managing partner of the firm and Poquoson resident for over 30 years. “I cannot say enough about George and what a great partner he is to have with us. George is fully committed to his community and to the families he serves every day. He is professional, kind, giving and always thinks of others well before himself” stated Richard Lee, president of Capstone Services Group. And as George would humbly state, he would be lost without his faithful and dedicated co-workers and staff. To help with families and office functions, he is joined by Capstone Services Group recognizes Claytor Rollins Funeral Home and Crematory George Hamann Kellyn Dunn Grover Dunn Claytor Rollins Funeral Home and Crematory fellow funeral director Jennefer Polack and apprentice Kellyn Dunn. Kellyn is George’s daughter and is soon to be finishing up mortuary school and will be getting licensed later this year. They are all assisted by long time funeral assistants Jim, Jack, Robert, Carroll, Tom, Alice and George’s wife, Marie. Another special assistant is Grover R&S MARKERS FREE Sample Upon Request CREATE CUSTOM TEMPORARY GRAVE MARKERS FOR AS LOW AS $5.25 EACH PHONE: 561.963.4732 EMAIL: INFO@RSMARKERS.COM WWW.RSMARKERS.COM 331.229.8981 ing, and after, Lena and her team has guided them through this challenging time. “Perhaps what we’re most proud of are the countless 5-star reviews and how our families consistently tell us how easy we make this challenging time in their lives for them” Steve says. Bravo Family Mortuary’s commitment to education goes beyond their families and the community. “If there are any visiting colleagues from other cities who are interested in collaborations or best practice seminars, please come to our facility. As much as I love funeral directing, embalming, and meeting with families – it’s my passion – but a close second is education,” Lena says, adding that the weather is typically nice in San Diego and it’s a great place to go to escape the weather in other parts of the country. She would love to put on collaboration workshops with colleagues or just have them stop by to say hello. “I love the idea of great minds meeting to make things better for our families that we serve,” she says. For more information on Bravo Family Mortuary, visit their website at www. BravoFamilyMortuary. com. Continued from Page A2 Bravo Family Mortuary
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