Page A16 september 2023 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Section A 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Scan QR for our website Cots not included MODEL # TR3 Triple Cot Roll-In Mortuary Cooler AMC N W FAST SHIPPING AVAILABLE ON SELECT PRODUCTS There’s an old saying, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” I understand this well, growing up on a farm, showing cattle in 4-H, and having horses. This adage seems to strike close to home in funeral service. As I’ve been sharing my technical experiences in lectures over many years, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with many funeral directors. I find a high percentage of attendees at continuing education seminars are in attendance simply for the hours, and could care less about the subject matter or the possibility of learning something new. While I don’t consider myself an expert or an educator…after 30 years I’ve made mistakes and have learned what works for me. I’m simply sharing what I’ve learned…walking the walk. My good friend John T. Hill from North Carolina and I recently had a conversation regarding what we preferred to be called. We agreed, we both like the term “undertaker.” Why, you ask? Because we undertake everything, from taking death calls, making removals, embalming/ RA, dressing, casketing, meeting families at need, working visitations/funerals, pre-need arrangements, and attending to all the intrinsic details necessary to carry out final disposition arrangements. This makes our perspective of funeral service different from those whose responsibilities are more limited in scope. We are privileged to hear the relieved/grateful words through the tears of a grieving family for “giving their loved one back” for a proper goodbye. Are the bodies perfect? No, but with heart, effort, determination and experience we are often able to achieve acceptable results. Body-present services with pleased families and good looking bodies are the first steps in salvaging a struggling profession. So…back to leading a horse to water. Let’s review some difficult topics that often present themselves in our prep rooms, that I receive the most calls on for consultation. First are jaundice cases. The goal is to preserve/restore the deceased for an open casket service. Without edema, I suggest a pre-injection to flush the wastes out of the body to prepare the cells for the arterial embalming. I have my choice of pre-injection fluids but am not able to By Wally Hooker, CFSP, MBIE share those here (I would be happy to share my mixtures if you contact me by email). With a gallon of pre-injection (containing no arterial chemicals), I inject through the RCC into a closed system using low pressure and low ROF. You should be able to inject the entire gallon without swelling or distending facial features. Just be sure to pay close attention as you are injecting. After the solution is injected, I leave it undisturbed for 30-40 minutes. As I wait for the pre-injection solution to work, I set the features, maybe restock my shelves and do some tidying up in the prep room. After allowing time for the pre-injection solution to work, I mix a gallon of arterial solution at 2.5% solution strength, using a 25 index arterial chemical, also using my choice of co-injection chemicals, plus enough water to create a gallon. I like to use lower percentage strength with my initial tank mix and increase it with each gallon. We don’t want to risk too high solution strength right off the bat and wall off delicate tissue, preventing deeper diffusion. Depending on the degree of the jaundice, I add dye. For moderate jaundice I will add 2-4 ounces of dye/ gallon of solution. Employing RCI (restricted cervical injection) is important to ensure you have more control of injecting the head. As you inject, observe diffusion/circulation and if you want more color, stop injecting and add more dye. Looking at the palms of the hands and feet are a good indicator. For my second gallon I increase my solution strength to 3% and 4-6 ounces of dye. Assess your progress as you inject so you can make adjustments as needed. After the second gallon, closely observe the body to see if embalming is going well and there is good color distribution and firming. Don’t mistake color diffusion and “shell embalming” for a deep thorough embalming. Even if it appears the body is well embalmed, I recommend a third gallon at 3½ - 4% solution strength, employing restricted drainage, using enough dye to achieve the color you are looking for. I routinely restrict drainage more than I allow drainage. Embalming 101 We want to make sure we force the arterial fluid deep into the tissue to ensure adequate preservation. We are seeing more families delaying services and this is one situation we would want to make sure no corners are cut. If you are not comfortable with your results at this point, don’t be afraid to inject another gallon or two, or whatever it takes…it is always better to be safe than sorry! The color you achieve from the neck down should be a good guide on how much dye to use as you inject upward into the head. We are looking for preservation and color diffusion. For some reason, it always seems as though the head/ face doesn’t “pink up” as well as the lower body. Keep in mind it is much easier to cosmetize over a reddish/red complexion, than yellow, bronze or green. I’m not concerned if the face seems overly pink/red following the arterial injection. Some of this color will dissipate over 24 hours. My best results have been achieved using the RCI, and a very low rate of flow. This is one of those situations where, slow and steady, wins the race. I suggest a half gallon at 3% solution strength including accessory fluids, dye and humectant. Using a humectant is important when we use a 3% arterial solution into the delicate tissue of the face. If this doesn’t give you enough firmness or preservation, mix another half gallon…again, it’s better to be safe than sorry. It’s very important to pay close attention to your rate of flow and to the eyes and neck as we inject this much solution into the head. Swelling can happen in an instant…don’t rush! Next month we will continue addressing difficult case embalmings. Until then, be safe! 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 You Can Lead a Horse to Water… Park Lawn Corporation Announces Second Quarter 2023 Results; Expands Ontario Footprint TORONTO,ONTARIO— Park Lawn Corporation (TSX: PLC; PLC.U) announced its financial operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023. Revenue increased by approximately 12.3% to $85.3M primarily as a result of Acquired Operations as compared to the threemonth period ended June 30, 2022. Gross profit increased by 25.2% to $21,043,308 compared to $16,813,765 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2022. J. Bradley Green, Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are proud of our operating results this quarter as our overall performance demonstrates the ability of our team to incrementally improve their business operations in a challenging macroeconomic environment while simultaneously staying true to our mission to deliver the highest level of service to our families.” Further Expansion of Ontario Footprint Subsequent to the quarter, on July 17, 2023, PLC completed the previously announced acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Ward Funeral Home Limited. The Ward acquisition expands Park Lawn’s footprint in the Greater Toronto Area through the addition of three stand-alone funeral homes located in Brampton, Woodbridge and Toronto, Ontario. “For over 100 years and four generations, our family has been serving the communities of the Greater Toronto Area with care and integrity in honoring the memories of their loved ones. We are excited to join an organization that aligns with our values and prioritizes the service of families above all else,” stated William John Ward and Cameron Ward, former owners of Ward. “We are pleased to further deepen our funeral home presence in the Greater Toronto market with the addition of the Ward businesses,” said Green. “These well-established best-in-class businesses are led by a robust leadership team which exemplify the high level of service present in first rate funeral homes. We are honored to welcome the Ward businesses and their team into the Park Lawn family.” Additionally on August 8, 2023, PLC completed the acquisition of substantially all the assets of M.W. Becker Funeral Home Ltd., a standalone funeral home business in Keswick, Ontario. “We take great pride in serving Keswick and the surrounding communities and look forward to continuing to provide outstanding personalized service to our families through our partnership with Park Lawn,” said Yves Larocque, former owner of MWB. “The addition of the M.W. Becker Funeral Home allows us to enter a growing market north of Toronto, and expands Park Lawn’s footprint in Ontario, in furtherance of our stated growth objectives. We are excited to welcome the M.W. Becker team into the Park Lawn family,” stated Green. PLC provides goods and services associated with the disposition and memorialization of human remains. Products and services are sold on a pre-planned basis (preneed) or at the time of a death (at-need). PLC and its subsidiaries own and operate businesses including cemeteries, crematoria, funeral homes, chapels, planning offices and a transfer service. PLC operates in three Canadian provinces and nineteen U.S. states. SEND US YOUR NEWS! info@nomispublications.com FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS
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