Funeral services with advance planning have increased by 10% in the past year

Barcelona, October 23, 2018.- Àltima, a company specialized in managing funeral services, crematories, and cemeteries, has observed a rise in the demand for pre-planning funeral services. More people are choosing this option to ensure their farewell is resolved for their relatives. Over the past year, this type of service has increased by 10%, particularly among individuals over 70 years old who do not have a death insurance policy and see this as a way to have their funeral arranged and even paid for in advance.

According to Josep Ventura, Director of Àltima Funeral Services, "We find that this is a moment people generally avoid or do not wish to plan for, but there is growing awareness about the importance of planning ahead to choose what one desires for their funeral and to avoid making hasty decisions during such an emotionally sensitive time as a death."

In parallel, signs of growing awareness about the importance of planning are emerging, as families are requesting more information and quotes before a death occurs. As Ventura explains, "At Àltima, we have always encouraged families to ask, request, and compare services so that they do not have to make hasty decisions when the time comes." In this regard, with the "Assessora" tool, which was implemented last year in all funeral homes, users can easily see all available options for a funeral service.

There has also been an evolution in recent years regarding secular versus Catholic funerals. Although Catholic funerals remain the majority (82%), secular funerals now represent 18% of the services Àltima provides in Barcelona. There is a growing involvement of families in various stages of the funeral process and an increasing desire to tailor the farewell to their preferences. In this line, Àltima allows for customization of the coffin lid with a chosen image, an evolution from the vinyl coffins introduced in 2014.

Cremations Surpass Traditional Burials in Barcelona for the First Time

Cremation services continue their increasing trend year after year. According to data provided by Àltima, cremation has seen an annual increase of nearly 9.4% in Catalonia, reaching 10.55% for Àltima in 2017.

Notably, in the city of Barcelona, cremation now represents over half of the funeral services provided by Àltima, specifically 51%, surpassing traditional burials for the first time. According to Joan Ventura, Director of Àltima’s Cemeteries Division, “Cremation is a demand that will stabilize around 60% in the next ten years in major urban areas of Catalonia. For this reason, cemeteries need to adapt and respond to this trend, ensuring controlled and sustainable management of ashes.”

With this forecast, the recent major projects undertaken by Àltima in cemetery management have focused on ash management, with innovative and environmentally sustainable proposals such as “El Camí del Bosc” at the Roques Blanques Cemetery and the “Jardí de les Roselles” at the Pruelles Cemetery (Sitges). Both initiatives have been well received by users, especially “El Camí del Bosc,” which now has 180 urn burials after a year of operation and has received several architectural and environmental awards.

Due to various alternatives for more efficient and responsible ash management introduced in recent years, 77% of Àltima’s funeral service users now choose coffins without harmful elements, and 40% opt for biodegradable urns.

Cemetery News: Green Niches

Following recent efforts to expand options for cremation services, this year Àltima has introduced green niches, staying true to its commitment to sustainable and environmentally respectful initiatives.

Thus, Àltima has inaugurated a new area for vertical burials at the Roques Blanques Regional Cemetery, designed as a modular vertical garden with aromatic species that create a new landscape of rest and contemplation within the Collserola Natural Park.

In a protected and contemplative environment, the new green niches represent a commitment to improving the environmental qualities of the site, in harmony with the mountain.

As explained by Joan Ventura, Director of Àltima Cemeteries, “Our latest initiatives have been related to ash management, but we believe there is still room to innovate in vertical burials and adapt them to the environment we are in.”

In these spaces, which began being available this October, native species adapted to the area's climatic conditions are introduced, which do not compete with each other and attract local flora and fauna, offering a new vision of commemorative spaces in favor of biodiversity.

Continuous Improvements for the User

Throughout this year, Àltima has implemented the “Assessora” program in all its centers, a tool that allows families to process and contract services and products directly, as it shows the final amount of selected products and the total funeral expense at all times. This project aims to facilitate the choice of all necessary elements based on the type of burial and desired expenditure, and to ensure maximum transparency in services.

Additionally, Àltima has revamped its website -www.altima-sfi.com- to provide detailed information about all funeral services in a more dynamic, visual, accessible, and interactive manner. The new Àltima corporate website becomes a new communication space with detailed, transparent, and precise information about all centers; personalized advice on grief and death; and new online services.

Here we have arrived, the book that compiles what we do and how we celebrate the final farewell

Àltima has collaborated on the publication of the sixth title in the “L'Ermità” Collection, the book “Fins aquí hem arribat,” which explores rituals and celebrations, sayings and humor, dances and representations, and, of course, cemeteries, funerals, obituaries, and epitaphs. All texts are written in an engaging and informative tone, full of curiosities and unique stories, accompanied by a carefully selected range of images and illustrations to make the reading more appealing. It also features a peculiar foreword by the popular Mr. Marcel·lí Virgili, who describes himself as “a specialist in the subject.”

The authors, Amadeu Carbó and Jordi Cubillos, deep experts in traditional cultural roots, describe the profound impact that death and all that surrounds it has had on our society in many aspects: customs, popular expressions, artistic and cultural heritage, etc. They also recount the changes brought about by globalization and secularization in contemporary society, which have promoted new cultural practices like necrotourism or strongly established celebrations like Halloween.