Continuing Education in a Changing Deathcare Landscape
Continuous improvement for the service-focused professional is first and foremost about how we show up for others. Advancement and opportunity may follow — sometimes. But the real measure is the impact we make and the difference we create.
This week, i had the opportunity to attend Disposition Demystified, a fantastic virtual event hosted by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). The speakers were strong, engaging, and informative. The focus was emerging technologies and alternative disposition methods that reflect the evolving demands of today’s funeral consumers.
People today are not simply asking, “What are my options?”
They’re also often asking, “What aligns with how I’ve lived my life?”
That’s a very different conversation.
As a pre-planning advisor, my responsibility isn’t just to explain cremation or burial. It’s to understand cultural shifts, environmental concerns, regulatory realities, and personal values—so that when i have the honor of serving a family, i’m prepared to provide meaningful guidance that resonates with them.
The Rise of Value-Aligned Disposition Choices
In the webinar we explored some of the alternatives available to families, focusing on those gaining attention across the country. These included:
Alkaline Hydrolysis
Also known as water cremation or resomation, this process uses water and alkaline solutions to accelerate natural decomposition. It significantly reduces carbon emissions compared to traditional flame cremation and appeals to environmentally conscious individuals. It also speaks to those who are not comfortable with combustion cremation as an option but have chosen it because they thought it was the only alternative to traditional burial with a casket, vault, and chemical embalming.
Green Burial
What people think of as ” traditional burial” is also evolving. The 2025 Global Study of Funeral Practice reports that, if offered, 85% of people would consider greener options.
Greener choices emphasize simplicity and sustainability, such as choosing not to be embalmed, use of biodegradable caskets or shrouds, and burial in more natural settings.
There is a full spectrum of options from incorporating more natural personal choices within a traditional cemetery to conservation burial in a certified cemetery. For many families, this feels like a return to something honest and elemental. It may also resonate deeply with the beliefs and traditions of Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Identities (RSSI), such as Jewish and Wiccan communities.
Natural Organic Reduction
Sometimes referred to as human composting or terramation, this method transforms the body into nutrient-rich soil over several weeks. It represents a deeply ecological view of legacy—returning to the earth in a literal and restorative way. Like cremation, the remains are returned to the family, allowing for personalized tributes.
Naval Burial at Sea
We also took a “deep-dive” into an often overlooked option for Veterans. Burial at sea – either of casketed or cremated remains – is a powerful and symbolic option that many families don’t even realize is available to eligible veterans from any branch of service. A pre-planning advisor can assist in creating a plan and ensuring families know the proper paperwork to gather in advance.
Each of these methods carries its own regulatory framework, operational considerations, and emotional meaning. The more we know, the better we serve families. Understanding the options allows us to move beyond transactions and into meaningful guidance.
Why Continuous Education Matters
Families can Google everything. If we’re not informed, it shows.
Continuous education allows us as pre-planning advisors to:
- Stay current on legal and regulatory changes
- Understand environmental and cultural trends shaping consumer decisions
- Speak accurately about costs, logistics, and timelines
- Ask better questions during consultations
- Provide clarity instead of confusion
A consultative approach means not starting with, “Here’s what we offer” but with, “Tell me what matters to you.”
When someone values sustainability, i need to understand carbon impact.
When someone values tradition, i need to respect that fully and make suggestions that honor that tradition.
When someone wants something unconventional, i need to know the options & mechanics of how to honor that wish – and if it is legally available and practical for the family.
Education builds credibility. Credibility builds trust. Trust allows families to make confident decisions.
From Transactional to Consultative
There’s a difference between processing arrangements and advising families.
A transactional model focuses on packages and price lists.
A consultative model focuses on people.
The consultative advisor:
- Listens before recommending
- Explains trade-offs honestly
- Clarifies misconceptions
- Respects diverse beliefs and identities
- Helps families think through legacy, impact, and long-term implications
That approach requires preparation. It requires curiosity. It requires staying uncomfortable enough to keep learning.
And it requires humility—because this profession is changing.
Pre-planning is about more than paperwork.
It’s about empowering people to make meaningful deathcare decisions that honor who they are, the values they live by, the legacy they want to have, and the way they want to support their loved ones.
