In most states, following a death, a family member, agent holding a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPAHC), or designated agent has a right to:
- Act in lieu of a funeral director and take charge of the funeral
- Make all of the decisions and orchestrate funeral arrangements
- Create a personal, unique and intimate ceremony
- Revive old customs and traditions while creating new ones
- An environmentally friendly disposition (cremation or burial)
- Carry out an ecologically conscious (green) death
- Affordable choices for after-death care and disposition
To research the laws regarding home or family-directed funerals in your state, please visit the website of the Funeral Ethics Organization.