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Sunday, March 23, 2025 | Special Advertising Section 16Cremation is by far the most populardeathcare choice, with over 80%of Washingtonians going this route,though that is slowly changing as thegreen burial movement has gainedsteam in recent decades.\ don%u2019t have a formal, legal definition for green burial inWashington, but there are some common components. For greenburial, generally people won%u2019t bechemically embalmed, often people will choose a biodegradable casketmade from natural materials, andthey will avoid the use of a concretevault liner in their cemetery plot,%u201d says Husseman Brandt. %u201cWe%u2019ve seen manyinterpretations of green burials, so weoften say that when it comes to thispractice, %u2018there are shades of green.%u2019%u201d New technologies and practices, like natural organic reduction, offer evenmore ways for us to care for people. Also referred to as human composting,this newer option transforms the bodyinto nourishing soil.Another eco-friendly option gainingin popularity is alkaline hydrolysis or%u201caquamation.%u201d This gentle processuses water, temperature, pressureand alkalinity (usually lye or potassiumhydroxide) to reduce the body tobones, which are then processed intopowder and returned to the family inan urn. Cremation does the samefundamental reduction using flame, however aquamation is estimated touse around one-eighth of the energy.\ on data gathered from ourbiennial funeral home price survey, we expect alkaline hydrolysis to reachprice parity with direct cremation by2035,%u201d Husseman Brandt says.It%u2019s not uncommon to meet someonewho wants to keep things as simpleas possible after they die, choosingto donate their body to science. Ananatomical gift to institutions can allowyou to advance medical teachingand research for future generations.Families are encouraged to contactthe educational institution of theirchoice for more information about theirdonation programs.Ensure your choices are honored\ people do spend a lot of timethinking about the kind of care theywant for their body or how they wantto be remembered, but they don%u2019t tell anyone what they want. Nobody wantsSPONSORED CONTENTPROVIDED BY PEOPLE%u2019S MEMORIAL ASSOCIATIONAccording to a recent survey, morethan two-thirds of Americans say discussing end-of-life preparations with loved ones, including what kindof funeral they want, is importantand on their minds. Yet only 47% ofthose surveyed have actually had thisdiscussion, and 42% said they'd prefer to die suddenly and avoid after-deathplanning altogether.\ about funerals and dyingmake people uncomfortable, so theyjust keep putting the conversationoff,\executive director of People's MemorialAssociation, a nonprofit resource andthought-leader for funeral choice, education and advocacy in Washingtonstate. \your options helps decision-makingfeel less scary.\Know your optionsIn our state, there are five legaloptions for how a body is cared forafter death: burial, cremation, alkalinehydrolysis (aka water cremation oraquamation), natural organic reduction (aka composting or terramation), andanatomical donation for researchpurposes.Taking after-death planning out of the unknown: Know your optionsPeople%u2019s Memorial Associationis the trusted resource andthought-leader for funeral choice, education, and advocacy inWashington State. We envision a future where everyone has accessto after-death arrangementsthat reflect their personal valuesand resources. Learn more atpeoplesmemorial.orgCasey Husseman Brandt, executive director of People's Memorial Association. (People's Memorial Association)to seem morbid! But it%u2019s crucial thatyou talk with your friends and family, and that you put those wishes down onpaper,\One particularly useful form is the designated agent form, which allowsyou to designate any adult to handleall end-of-life care decisions for you. Many people don%u2019t know that a powerof-attorney form expires when they die, so they need to appoint someone to step in for deathcare-related decisions.Husseman Brandt suggests keepingend-of-life planning documentssomewhere safe and accessible toyour next-of-kin or designated agent. Don't store your wishes only in a safe deposit box, as it often takes severalweeks or longer after death to gainaccess.Starting the conversation aboutafter-death planningEducation is power, and a good placeto start discussing end-of-life wisheswith loved ones is to learn your optionsand your rights. %u201cDucks in a Row%u201d isPMA's popular three-hour workshopseries that provides information about the major components of makingend-of-life arrangements. Workshopsare led by experts, including anestate attorney, representatives fromcommunity partners like End-of-LifeWashington and a deathcare educator.\ so lucky in Washington tohave so many options available to usfor how we are cared for. Unfortunately, it can be overwhelming to navigate theprocess of planning a funeral with somany options. But we%u2019re here to help,\Husseman Brandt says.