How to have a good death
Gemma O’Driscoll concluded her year as President of SAIF as a guest interviewee for BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour when its topic of the day was ‘How to Have a Good Death’.
During the programme, Gemma had the opportunity to reflect on her time as President, talk about how the industry has changed and give an insight into what it is like working as a funeral director today.
The public still has a misconception about funeral directors, largely due to inaccurate media portrayals, and Gemma highlighted how, when she meets families for the first time, they often remark ‘You don’t look like a funeral director’, something which many in the industry can relate to.
With the interview held at her firm, Gemma was able to emphasise the day-to-day work involved in running a funeral director, including the family nature of many firms that have been run for generations. She offered a true reflection of what being a funeral director entails.
One of the most interesting areas of discussion was the growing demand for personalised funerals, such as families looking for different types of coffins and dress codes, with many people now seeing a funeral as a celebration of an individual’s life as opposed to a day of mourning.
SAIF members are well placed to provide this personalised service, and Gemma’s appearance on the programme helped to further promote independent funeral directors and their role in caring, for the both the deceased and their relatives.
If you would like to listen to the programme it is available online on the BBC Radio 4 website.