Two Growing Social Problems
At my age and life experience it takes a lot to stun me.
But I am taken aback by two social problems growing in our country.
#1: Granny Dumping, and
#2: Unclaimed cremation ashes left at funeral homes and places of worship.
What is Granny Dumping?
Simply put, granny dumping is the abandonment of an elderly person in public places like hospitals, nursing homes, emergency rooms and hotels.
It is a serious form of elder abuse labeled in the 1980s by medical and social work professionals who recognized this growing, troubling practice.
A “caregiver,” usually a family member, intentionally leaves the frail elderly person without any care, support or supervision. They refuse to return to pick up the person.
This is especially troubling if the elder has diminished mental capacity, or hearing and vision loss and cannot identify themselves or the person who left them behind.
For medical institutions, granny dumping is a real concern because the person dumped generally requires not only medical attention but also shelter and assistance with ADLs-activities of daily living. It creates a financial and human resource strain within the institution.
Why It’s Happening
Granny dumping happens when family members are unable or unwilling to continue providing care.
The most common reasons given for this serious form of elder abuse are:
- Financial challenges such as the high cost of in-home or assisted living care
- Limited access to resources like home health, adult day care and assisted living
- Burnout from the emotional and physical toll of caregiving
- Unwillingness to help or inability to caretake
Advocacy Film
I was exposed to the concept of granny dumping at the 21st Annual Omaha Film Festival where the short film S A V E R I O was shown. (This Oscar-qualified short film is being shown at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.)
Afterwards, Ellen Ancui, the writer and director, spoke passionately of this growing nationwide problem and why it inspired her to create a film about it.
She urges policy makers to familiarize themselves with the concept to end this inhumane practice. “Change starts with awareness.”
Information & Statistics
Is It Against the Law to Leave an Elderly Person Alone? – LegalClarity
https://openyls.law.yale.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/0421260a-68f7-4631-82ab-569d9ccd1bee/content
Omaha Film Festival – Dedicated to Presenting Quality Independent Films
Unclaimed Cremation Ashes
Engaged in a consulting gig, I audited a metropolitan church’s financial records which showed a significant dollar amount for unclaimed and unwanted urn burials for multiple years.
This expense piqued my curiosity.
Why was the church assuming the cost of burying urns?
Why wasn’t the family paying for this service?
It turns out, all across the country, families are abandoning cremains leaving the responsibility of what to do with unclaimed or unwanted ashes to funeral homes, crematories and/or places of worship.
Why Ashes are Unclaimed
According to funeral.com, uncollected remains are rarely about neglect and more often about disruption.
- Family may live in another state
- Costs
- The executor is overwhelmed
- Next of kin is difficult to identify and reach
- The person who arranged cremation does not have legal authority to claim the remains
- Emotional inability to bring ashes home or bury them
If Ashes Aren’t Claimed
Funeral homes have legal and ethical obligations and industry regulations to direct them on how to handle unclaimed ashes with dignity and respect.
Generally, if ashes are not claimed from a funeral home or crematory, they will be placed in temporary urn storage.
The next steps vary state by state and sometimes by county within states.
If Ashes Aren’t Wanted
As in my church client’s situation, urns are intentionally left at the church when the person with legal authority does not want the remains.
Sadly, there is often family conflict about what to do with the remains, especially when costs are discussed.
This church always reaches back with compassion to the family to claim the remains.
If that attempt is unsuccessful, they follow lawful options and continue to treat ashes with dignity, documenting and recording all urn burials.
More Information
What Happens to Cremated Ashes If Not Collected? – LegalClarity
Unclaimed Ashes | Unwanted Ashes | Memorial Options — The Living Urn
What Happens to Unclaimed or Uncollected Cremation Ashes (And How to C | Funeral.com, Inc.
What Happens to Unclaimed Ashes: The Responsibilities of Funeral Homes – ForeverYard
Your Opinion
What do you think?
Were you aware of granny dumping and unclaimed ashes?
How can you advocate for solutions to these growing social problems?
Share your experience(s) and opinions here.
©May 2026 Linda Leier Thomason. All Rights Reserved.