The comments were interesting...

"Out of sight, out of mind"...

I have first hand experience of when people put these things off...never has it gone well.

Any correlation that the treatment of the deceased mirrors the level of concern when they were alive?

Most times..yes (sadly). However, I've noted that when family have left a parent to live alone in a facility or whatever and they pass away

that when they return to make final arrangements, there is this grand feeling of guilt they appear to be dealing with.

An observation to one of the comments that was made by a reader to the article...

something about leaving it up the funeral industry to tell "us" how to deal with grief/loss.

Interesting.