SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- As people struggle to make ends meet in life the same it seems is happening in death. Some families are leaving bodies unclaimed, unable to pay for a funeral.
Jan Thomas knows the fear of a pricey funeral.
"I had lost my job, we lost our house, my husband had a stroke," Thomas said.
It was that stroke that made Thomas realize she could be paying for a funeral sooner than she'd like. But her savings were depleted and she was afraid she couldn't afford it.
"Cost was a major, major factor," said Thomas.
Jennifer Dunbar with the Arizona Care Planning Council and Hansen Mortuaries said she's hearing from more and more families dealing with hard times, some who fear they can't afford to put their loved ones to rest at all.
But she said there are options.
"Some of the options that families have are choosing cremation maybe over burial," Dunbar said.
That cuts out a pricey casket and plot. In fact many choose a simple cardboard box for cremation. Urns can cost as little as $75 or $95 for a biodegradable urn. Choosing to scatter the ashes could save even more.
But right now some can't even afford that, for them a donation to science maybe the answer.
"Donating to Alzheimer’s research and things like that, cancer research there's many organizations that do things like that," said Dunbar.
But if you know a loved one is close to the end the best thing you can do is to start planning now.
"You can also pay for it over time," according to Dunbar.
That's what Thomas is doing.
"Who knows how long I'm going to have him, but it's nice to know that when it does happen, I'll have less burden to deal with," she said.
Less burden and more peace of mind.
