Long read
Most funeral home owners and managers work hard to maintain a good reputation in their communities by selflessly caring for families.
But that good reputation can be lost in an instant due to human error.
Unfortunately, when funeral homes make mistakes, families are quick to take to social media to warn others of negligence. The news is also quick to pick up these stories, both at the local and even at the national level.
Take this BBC report of the wrong body being buried. The mourners attended the funeral, but the body had to be exhumed after the mistake was realized. A representative for the funeral home said, “Our family have been funeral directors for more than 150 years and nothing like this has happened before."
Or take this CBC News story of a funeral home in Nova Scotia that mixed up bodies for the family of a loved one. The family ended up suing the funeral home, and the business was told to “label bodies as soon as the funeral home takes possession of them.” One suggestion mentioned in the article was that the business could “use metal tags with numbers that can survive the cremation process and ensure the remains are properly identified.”
These examples show why keeping accurate chain of custody records for decedents and personal belongings is crucial.
That’s why we’ve invested in the development of barcode tracking technology to give you and your families complete peace of mind throughout every step of the funeral care process.
We don’t want you to ever have to deliver the tragic news that the wrong body was buried or cremated. We also don’t want you to have to apologize for losing or misplacing a valuable heirloom or favorite item.
Instead, with the Passare mobile app, you can track decedents and personal items every step of the way, from the time they enter your care to the point of final disposition or return to the family.
In this guide, we will cover:
Let’s get started!
Why everyone needs custody tracking
What is barcode tracking?
Barcode tracking for funeral homes is a system that can be put in place to track the chain of custody for decedents and personal belongings.
With barcode tracking, you have a digital record of every location a body or item has been, who handled it, and when. You can accurately trace locations using scannable barcodes, such as prep rooms, viewing rooms, refrigeration units, and urns or caskets, and tie each decedent or item to a specific case, location, and time with a simple scan using a mobile app.
Tracking decedents and belongings electronically gives you and your team complete transparency and real-time updates on the location of decedents and their possessions.
Why barcode tracking is for everyone
You may be wondering, “If my funeral home only serves one or two families per week, how can barcode tracking help me?”
The use case for tracking a large volume of cases makes perfect sense. You have multiple staff members touching each case, and it’s incredibly helpful to have a digital footprint to follow and access at any time if the family calls with a question.
For funeral homes with fewer staff members and a smaller caseload, tracking may seem like just one extra step. But you might be surprised at the many ways that a barcode tracking system can benefit even funeral homes with the smallest caseloads.
Lower liability and potential mistakes
No funeral director ever wants to make a mistake that could potentially cause further trauma for the grieving family.
Despite this fact, many still do because of ineffective tracking systems and mix-ups.
The wrong body is placed in the wrong casket and dressed in the wrong clothes.
The wrong cremated remains are given to the family.
The wrong body is cremated.
All of these types of mistakes can be extremely traumatic for families, ruin your reputation in the community, and lead to expensive lawsuits.
No matter what size your funeral home is, maintaining a record of the chain of custody can only help you reduce liabilities and potential lawsuits. With your funeral home’s reputation at stake, it just makes sense to do everything you can to create systems that protect your business and the families you serve!
Provide a higher level of service to families
Imagine presenting an urn to a family with a barcode on the bottom and stating, “This is how we tracked your loved one every step of the way while he/she was in our care.”
Or imagine receiving a call from a family about the whereabouts of a precious family heirloom. With real-time tracking updates, you could say, “Our records show that the item was scanned by one of our funeral directors on Monday at 9:43 a.m. and is with your loved one’s belongings.”
Having a tracking system in place gives your families peace of mind knowing that you went the extra mile to ensure no mistakes were made.
Track everything in one place
Many funeral homes use multiple methods for tracking decedents and belongings. They might use whiteboards or clipboards, but these aren’t accessible to everyone in the funeral home at all times. Having a barcode tracking system that integrates with your case management system allows everyone on staff access to the same information anytime, anywhere.
That way, any time a family calls to ask about where their loved one is in the process of preparation for burial or cremation, your entire staff can answer with confidence.
Track third-party transfers to and from your funeral home
With barcode tracking, you can track when a body enters your care from the medical examiner’s office, a third-party transfer service, or another funeral home. You can also track when a body leaves your care to another funeral home, offsite crematory, or other third-party service provider.
Having an accurate record of when a body enters and leaves your care is so important for keeping families informed if they request information on the status of their loved one’s cremation or funeral preparation.
Ultimately, whether you serve 50 families per year or 5,000, having a tracking system in place offers your business and families an extra measure of protection.
“In this day and age, it is so important to have an accurate chain of custody. Passare gives us and families peace of mind. If you use Passare, you have to use their decedent tracking tool - it’s just crazy not to!”
Bryan Hicks, General Manager and Funeral Director
Elmwood Funeral Home and Memorial Park | Abilene, TX
How to choose the right tracking tool
So, now that you know how important it is to have a tracking system in place for chain of custody, you may be wondering:
”How do I choose a tool that is right for my funeral home?”
Below are a few things to look for in a barcode tracking system.
1. An all-in-one tool
First look for a tool that meets all your needs. To offer the greatest usability, your barcode tracking tool should seamlessly connect to your case management system and offer both decedent tracking and item tracking. It doesn’t do you a lot of good if your tool only does two out of three!
2. Simple setup
Look for a tool that is easy to set up on the go with locations and barcode types. If your system requires you to do a lengthy setup process before you can even start using it, this makes it difficult to get your barcode tracking system off the ground.
3. Scalability
As you look at different chain of custody tracking tools on the market, consider the scalability of the options you are considering.
How much is the cost of tracking each case? Are there any additional costs for using a specific type of tracker, such as a medallion or other special type of tag?
Systems like these can add costs to your operation that don’t scale well.
4. Ease of use
Next, consider how easy the system is to use.
Do you have to pre-print barcodes that are tied to a case or can you use any barcode? If your system generates specific barcodes for cases that are unique to the system, you might have a logistical problem if you are nowhere near a printer when you need a barcode.
Are barcodes durable or are they paper-thin and prone to getting damaged? If you’re moving bodies or items to and from different locations, you need to ensure the barcode is sturdy.
Does the barcode use cheap ink that will wash off or can they stand getting wet? The last thing you want is to have barcode ink or smear or disappear due to poor quality.
To avoid the above scenarios, look for a tool that provides durable, cost-effective barcode technology so that you can always have them on hand to tie to any case.
5. Accessibility of information
Then, think about how accessible the tracking information will be to everyone on your staff.
Keep in mind that a family may call at any time asking about the status of their loved one’s cremation, burial, or the location of a specific item.
Having all of that information integrated and up to date in your case management system will allow anyone from a receptionist to an on-call funeral director the ability to answer questions knowledgeably and professionally.
If the system you are considering is only accessible to a few staff members, the benefits of your tracking system will be limited.
6. Cost
Finally, look at the overall cost of implementing a barcode tracking system. Is the cost an add-on for a service you currently have or is it included? Are there subscription costs and the cost of physical barcodes? Both?
These are all excellent questions and considerations as you weigh your options for implementing a new barcode tracking system.
“We’ve come so far using barcode tracking. When families call, it doesn’t matter who they talk to at the funeral home, that person can look in Passare and tell the family exactly where their loved one is.”
Angie Good, Managing Director
French Funerals & Cremations | Albuquerque, NM
Setting up your tracking system
Once you’ve chosen your tracking tool, it’s time to set up a system that will work for you.
Here are a few suggestions to help you implement this change in your funeral home:
Determine your why
First, think about why barcode tracking is important to you.
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Do you never want to have to explain to a family that you accidentally cremated the wrong body?
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Do you never want to face the embarrassment of a family realizing their loved one is wearing someone else’s clothes at the viewing?
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Do you want to be able to offer a higher level of service to families than your competitors?
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Do you simply want more peace of mind?
These are all great reasons to implement barcode tracking. Whatever your personal reasons, be sure to have a solid understanding of your why before moving forward. That way, you can share your why with your staff and help them get on board.
Commit to going all in
Before you implement a big change for your staff, it’s important to commit to the change wholeheartedly. If you are going to make a change like this, do it all the way. For some funeral home owners and managers, it may be difficult to hold staff accountable to keep up with a new system like barcode tracking. You must put checks and balances in place that will keep your staff accountable.
Why?
Because the data in your system will only be as good as your staff’s willingness to integrate barcode scanning into their routine. If a body is moved without scanning the move and another body is put in its place, then the chances of someone else mistaking the new body for the original increases. That is why going all in is absolutely key!
Understand that change is hard...at first
It may go without saying, but any change in your processes will be hard. It’s OK to admit this to yourself and your staff. In fact, it’s necessary!
We recommend that you give your new process a 30-day test run. Pretty soon, you should find that barcode scanning becomes second nature to you and your staff.
Better yet, opt for premium training and support.
Set up your locations
Next, you will want to set up your scannable locations. Be sure the add a barcode or QR code to every location where a body, personal belonging, cremated body, or merchandise can be moved or stored. It doesn’t hurt to add more locations than you end up needing, so we recommend you set up scans for rooms, coolers, trays, shelves, and even your attic if you have unclaimed cremated remains stored there.
In general, the greater your caseload is, the more detailed you want to be with locations - down to embalming trays and refrigeration units.
Take pictures
Many of our clients have found it helpful to take pictures of personal effects, merchandise (such as an urn), and even authorization forms and tie them to the case. You can even leave notes for other staff members so they can see the updates in real time. You can keep track of where the item is, when it was moved, if someone picked it up, and other important details you don’t want to forget.
Plan for regular training and check-ins with staff
You may already have a daily or weekly team meeting to go over logistics. This is the perfect time to address concerns, do a quick training session or refresher, and discuss any issues from the previous week with adherence to the new process.
For example, one funeral home client had a staff member who regularly updated all the locations from memory at night. It was better late than never, but the best practice would have been to remember to scan as they moved the body from place to place. Updating at night from memory opened up a lot of potential for mistakes.
As issues arise, it’s best to keep your staff accountable and remind the entire team that everyone relies on one another to provide accurate and up-to-date information in the app. A best practice is to update the mobile app every time.
“Decedent tracking in Passare is one of my favorite features. I work on the operation side of things, and the visibility Passare tracking provides is essential.”
Jordan Seitz, Funeral Director
Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels & Cremation Services | Minnesota
How to get your staff on board
As mentioned above, your software is only as good as the team using it. Even if you have the most advanced software available, your funeral home’s liability risk will still be high if your staff isn’t using the tool properly.
Below are some strategies for getting your staff on board and setting them up for success when implementing a new system like barcode tracking.
1. Set up a staff meeting to share your why
Your first order of business when managing a big change is to get your team on board with the plan. The easiest way to build consensus and get people excited about a change is to share your why as a leader. Share examples from recent news stories (like the ones mentioned above). Share your commitment to never wanting to have a conversation like that with a family, much less face a lawsuit. Share your belief that families deserve transparency and accountability.
2. Acknowledge that change is hard
Next, acknowledge to your staff that change is hard. It will take everyone working together to ensure the success of a new system. Every member of the staff is going to be relying on one another to input accurate and up-to-date information into the system. Without accurate information, the system is not going to do anyone any good and could potentially lead to tragic mistakes. Your staff should fully understand the risks of not keeping up with the system once it’s in place.
But with everyone on board, the benefits to the team and your families will outweigh the inconvenience of getting used to the change. Remind your staff that it takes about 21 days to establish a new habit. After 30 days, barcode tracking will become second nature!
3. Ask your staff for commitment to follow through
After the team meeting, you might want to meet individually with each team member to go over questions and concerns. One of the fastest ways that staff can undermine change is to have unspoken disagreements. This can lead to complaining among team members, which can quickly erode all that you have worked for.
Before implementing a big change, ask each person individually if they have concerns. Once those are addressed, ask if they are committed to helping you make this new system work. Tell them you need their help! Their verbal commitment will go a long way to ensuring the success of your change.
4. Hold team meetings regularly
If you don’t currently hold regular team meetings, this may be a good strategy to consider. During team meetings, you can address any issues that arose from the previous week and remind team members of the importance of providing accurate and up-to-date information on every case. Regular team meetings will allow you to hold staff accountable to the new system and encourage them to continue working toward improving the tracking process. You can even ask your staff members about improving tracking processes once they’re familiar with the tool.
“With Passare’s feature, there is no guesswork. The app provides the most up-to-date information about any case that anyone on the team can see at any time, including detailed notes and a chain of custody. Plus, our team has more pride and ownership over what they do because they know that keeping track of the loved one positively impacts the family and our team.”
Ricky Mansfield, Vice President and Funeral Director
Miles Funeral Home | Holden, MA
Next steps with Passare
Throughout this guide, we shared what to look for in a tool, how to get your team bought into a system, and more. Let’s review the key benefits of implementing a digital barcode tracking system:
Reduces the risk of mistakes
Limits your liability and lawsuits
Provides transparency across your business and organization
Keeps everyone on your staff informed and up-to-date
Provides peace of mind to families to know where their loved one is every step of the way
Helps prevent losing or misplacing valuable or sentimental items
Ensures that you are providing the highest level of service to your families
Ready to get tracking with Passare? You can do all that and more in Passare’s all-in-one case management solution. Simply submit the form below, and one of our team members will reach out to schedule a time to show you the platform.
Additional resources
4 Hidden Benefits of Using Barcode Tracking: Every funeral home has a method of keeping up with items and bodies in their funeral home. Why not track in the most accurate way possible? Check out the 4 main benefits of barcode tracking technology in this article.
5 Best Practices for Setting Up a Barcode Tracking System: Ready to implement a digital tracking system? To experience the full benefits of your new tool, you need a plan to implement it correctly from day one. In this article, learn 5 best practices to successfully set up your barcode tracking system.
The Implementation Playbook: Not a Passare user? Find out what to expect when implementing Passare, along with a step-by-step guide on getting started with our software.
Sources
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CBC/Radio Canada. (2019, December 19). Funeral home that mixed up bodies, mistakenly cremated one, faces lawsuit | CBC News. CBCnews. Funeral home that mixed up bodies, mistakenly cremated one, faces lawsuit | CBC News
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BBC. (2020, August 18). “wrong body” released for Funeral Service in Carlisle. BBC News.
'Wrong body' released for funeral service in Carlisle