The stress of dealing with fentanyl related overdose victims is hitting home with funeral service operators in the Okanagan.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 definitely something that is a concern. When this families of victims walk through your door, you can香蕉视频直播檛 imagine the magnitude of grief they are experiencing, no matter what age the person is who has died,香蕉视频直播� said Charlotte Poncelet, executive director of the B.C. Funeral Association.

香蕉视频直播淎nd it香蕉视频直播檚 not just a case of one area or one or two funeral parlours being inundated with overdose related funeral services, it is something happening right across the province.

香蕉视频直播淐ertainly the compassion fatigue factor is something we are concerned about for our funeral service frontline staff that have to help these grieving families through the process.

香蕉视频直播淭he difficulty comes from the emotional viewpoint and the workload. It香蕉视频直播檚 hard not to take it home with you when the circumstances are so tragic.香蕉视频直播�

Poncelet said the association has carried out compassion fatigue workshops for funeral service industry workers and the topic will likely generate much discussion at the association香蕉视频直播檚 annual convention next May in Kelowna.

She said a media report last week saying the association was advising B.C. funeral parlours to stock naloxone kits to reverse possible overdoses among mourners at services or embalmers who handle bodies of overdose victims was blown out of proportion.

Poncelet said she sent out a routine bulletin in November advising about that possibility just a best practices idea to be aware of, and was surprised how it came back to her through media reports with a heightened sense of health safety alarm.

香蕉视频直播淲e just want to make sure our member funeral homes are educated on what to do, keeping in mind that we sometimes don香蕉视频直播檛 know how someone passed away,香蕉视频直播� Poncelet said.

Jason Everden, funeral director for Everden Rust Funeral Services in Kelowna, said the increased in overdose related deaths is readily apparent to him.

香蕉视频直播淚 would guess we香蕉视频直播檝e had about 12 overdose cases this year which is a substantial increase for us,香蕉视频直播� said Everden, a director on the BCFA board.

香蕉视频直播淲e don香蕉视频直播檛 always know the cause of death, but sometimes we can figure it out, and sometimes the family will say in the process of planning the service.

These fentanyl related overdose deaths come as a complete shock to families because they are unexpected, and often involve recreational drug users as opposed to hardcore drug addicts, he noted.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 so unnecessary and tragic,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 devastating for everyone concerned, including our staff, to deal with these tragedies. It香蕉视频直播檚 hard to see a funeral service where little kids come to say goodbye to a parent who died from an accidental drug overdose.香蕉视频直播�

Everden added it香蕉视频直播檚 also an added strain to pay for funeral services that are unexpected. Financial support is available from the provincial ministry of income assistance to cover basic funeral service costs.

香蕉视频直播淭he ministry had 30 requests a day coming from across the province during the month of November resulting from the spike in drug overdoses,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淢ost people don香蕉视频直播檛 have a safety net to deal with this kind of situation because you just don香蕉视频直播檛 expect it to happen. It香蕉视频直播檚 all so sudden and tragic.香蕉视频直播�

People on income assistance will get coverage for funeral service costs, but those with income- particularly people who exist on paycheque to paycheque- don香蕉视频直播檛 often get that same assistance.

香蕉视频直播淲e do the best we can to help and will forward their requests for funding assistance to try and get them financial coverage help anyway,香蕉视频直播� he noted.

Everden香蕉视频直播檚 brother Jeff runs the company香蕉视频直播檚 funeral parlour in Penticton, and he echoes his sibling香蕉视频直播檚 comments about the tragedy of the loss.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 quite shocking how frequent (overdose deaths) have become,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淚n Penticton, we had a town hall meeting earlier this month to discuss this issue with local community and social service agency groups, to share information and for people to talk about what our community can do moving forward.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 definitely stress for us to deal with, especially when it involves younger people, and so unnecessary.香蕉视频直播�

Jeff said the issue with fentanyl香蕉视频直播檚 plague is easy access and low cost to acquire it, and how it can be mixed in with other drugs.

香蕉视频直播淵ou want to be very careful in taking any sort of drugs because you never know if fentanyl might be a part of it,香蕉视频直播� he said.