12/02/2025
Deathcare is healthcare. When a heart stops, or a final breath is taken, there is still a body that needs care. Until a person is laid to rest, their family must find a way to provide that care. Yet when death occurs, the healthcare system falls away, and families are compelled by law to purchase funeral services from a private provider — a cost that quickly runs into the thousands.
Many families simply cannot afford this. In Orleans Parish alone, about 200 families each year lack the funds to arrange even a basic funeral. Their only option is the state’s indigent death program. In this process, the Coroner arranges for cremation, and the remains are placed in a potter’s field. The ashes are not returned, and families are barred from visiting the site. The result is not only financial hardship, but the devastating loss of dignity, closure, and the chance to say goodbye.
This is not unique to Orleans Parish. Each state and region handles indigent deaths differently, and families are often left navigating confusing, inconsistent systems while grieving. Across the United States, approximately 150,000 people each year are processed through indigent death programs. Despite its scale, the problem remains almost invisible, as no systematic studies exist at the local, state, or national level.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation in honor of Giving Tuesday; together, we can make sure the way we care for the dead reflects our deepest values of compassion and justice.
To donate: https://www.wake.education/donate
