Social workers have long been involved in identifying resources and making final arrangements for clients who die without an estate or have no heirs, who may be institutionalized or unknown to the community, or whose body may be unclaimed for burial. Absent quick intervention, these individuals are often at risk for an anonymous potter's field burial, sometimes in coffins stacked eight deep, with no respectful ceremony of interment. This article provides an overview of societal responses to the need for a final disposition of all people; discusses demographic and social trends that, if realized, may result in a significant increase in indigent burials; and provides information on social work interventions and the identification of resources available for a respectful and dignified final disposition for a client.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.