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F UNE R A L H O M E & C E M ETE R Y NE W S Se c t i o n A
Tips to help Funeral Directors Avoid Burnout while Performing Vital Roles and Managing a Business as we Move through the COVID 19 Pandemic By Colette Kemp
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Colette Kemp
Leonard Zielinski
Owning a business comes with no guarantees of success. However, one thing is for sure; all business owners deal with stress. Whether it be difficult employees, unhappy customers, regulatory compliance, issues are guaranteed to arise unexpectedly. Putting out fires comes with the territory. Now add in the dynamics of being a funeral director. Providing services to clients who are dealing with the unknown and are distraught, working under extremely tight timelines in a 24/7 environment, and you have a situation where things can take their toll. Oh yes, and let’s not forget about a global pandemic. That being said, what can you do as a funeral director running your own business to manage stress and take care of yourself? Leonard Zielinski is the owner of Northlake Funeral Home in Northlake, IL. He has been a funeral director for 36 years and is the past president of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association. I had the opportunity to speak with Leonard and ask him how he has managed stress and burnout during the last year. Leonard, you’ve been a funeral director for many years. What would you say is the most stressful part of the job, and how has the Pandemic affected that stress? On average, funeral directors have an unpredictable day. Adding to this during the Pandemic was unraveling news, industry information trickling in, various government
mandates, and individual interpretations. These all became the unknown factors of early 2020. PPE supplies were becoming scarce. In some locales, the overwhelming death tolls attributed to Covid-19 were alarming. All of the above factors were mixed into the psyche of all involved. Many of our colleagues were taxed to exhaustion. This has been an experience many in our field had not anticipated. I don’t know if there’s one area of stress to comment on more than another. There was also managing the public’s expectations (disappointment at times), dealing with various obstacles in the preparation arena, and arranging an appropriate funeral service within guidelines. What steps have you taken to manage your stress? Did you or your team experience burnout? During the height of the pandemic, in addition to operating the funeral home, I was continuously operating my embalming trade business. Because of an overall increase in volume, the days became longer (12-18 hours), and it began to take its toll physically and mentally. Signs of exhaustion were setting in. I had to cut back on the trade responsibility and regain a healthy mental and physical psyche. It took some time to refocus on the importance of rest. What has worked for you? What would you recommend other funeral director/owners do to avoid burnout? Depending on the size of your operation, cross-training and re-
linquishing certain responsibilities can be a benefit. Realize that someone else can help with what we may feel only we ourselves can do. There is life beyond the funeral home. (I’ve known some long since passed funeral directors whose mantra was “vacations are for those who need it.”) Sometimes we’ve conditioned ourselves to be trapped, yet no one else is at fault except us. What would you do differently if another unexpected event like this Pandemic happened again? In our lifetime, should we experience something similar to this, we will be better prepared. How? Simply by learning from what we’ve gone through—having a plan (similar to a mass fatalities plan) that can be implemented to handle and hold an increased volume of decedents. Utilizing a network of colleagues should the need arise, and you should take care of yourself to allow the best care for you the client families. In conclusion, during recent events, funeral directors have not been able to control the circumstances, but you can control how you react to them. Stress is a natural part of life, and it’s unavoidable. However, it’s crucial to manage it to do your best work. Stress is not something that we need to wait until it becomes overwhelming and starts affecting our mental health - we should start taking care of ourselves now. During times of uncertainty, this becomes even more important. Colette Kemp is an experienced business owner/operator. She is the Founder of Kemp Funeral Group.
Random Musings By Nancy Weil
Here’s to the Hidden Heroes! I know you’re wondering who those heroes are. IT’S YOU! Don’t believe me? Look at the dictionary definition: he·ro /ˈhirō/ noun 1. a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
“Outstanding achievements” is the key phrase to focus on. You may be wondering what you have done that is considered so outstanding. I will tell you. You have guided your staff, the families you serve and, in some cases, your community through a global pandemic that is still ongoing. You did this even when PPE was difficult to get and had tripled in price. You did this even when the government shut down your business to outside visitors. You did this even when the risk to your health was unknown. No matter what was thrown at you, you persevered and continued to do what you have always done – take extraordinary care of families who have lost a loved one. I have heard the stories from you – the stories about the refrigerated coolers outside of your funeral home to hold the bodies that could not fit inside of your existing coolers. I heard about the outbreaks at meat packing plants and reservations in towns large and small that left funeral homes overwhelmed and unable to take even one more call. I heard about the staff that had to work from home due to their personal risk of catching COVID-19 and how you found a way to
make it work. Stories from the field also made their way to me about cemeteries asking families to sit in their cars to witness their loved one’s burial. I even heard the stories of staff having to stay home in quarantine while the rest of the staff stepped up to cover the funeral home and cemetery so that every family was served. Many funeral directors have reported to me that in all of their years of working in the industry they have never seen anything like this. “This is not like the flu,” they would tell me. Indeed, it isn’t. Usually, the flu season is a season…but the coronavirus pandemic is stretching into its second year with no end in sight. While some areas are reopening, there are still concerns about what will happen in the fall, especially with the Delta variant on the rise. Yet no matter what lies ahead, you will continue to find a way to serve those who need your services day in and day out. And this makes me angry. Not about what you are doing, but at the lack of recognition for it. When PPE was in short supply, you were not on the list to receive what little was available. When the vaccines first rolled out, in many areas you were not listed as essential in order to receive it before the general population. While you are trained to handle the risk of infectious diseases, you need safety equipment in order to accomplish this. While I don’t begrudge the healthcare workers who had people applauding their efforts night after night, I did not hear one clap for those who work in deathcare. So let me take a moment to send you my sincerest ad-
miration and appreciation. I am giving you a standing ovation at this very moment. I am doing this because you deserve it, you have earned it and you will continue to show up and do your job every day no matter what this pandemic brings. Thank you.
Serving as Member Resources Director at the International Order of the Golden Rule, Nancy Weil brings her years of experience working in the funeral industry to funeral directors across the globe. Her professional experience includes serving as Director of Grief Support and Community Outreach at Veterans Funeral Care in Clearwater, FL and at eleven cemeteries in Western New York. Nancy travels throughout the country offering presentations on how to reduce stress, combat compassion fatigue and offer support for those who are grieving through her company, The Laugh Academy. With certifications as a Grief Services Provider and Grief Management Specialist, Funeral Celebrant, Soul Injury Ambassador and Laughter Leader, Nancy is uniquely qualified to bring new perspectives into how to best meet the needs of the families you serve. For more information on how Nancy can help you and your company grow, visit her website: www.TheLaughAcademy.com or e-mail Nancy@TheLaughAcademy.com.
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