Family Centered Death Care

What is a Home Funeral?

A traditional home funeral, also known as family directed after-death care:

• is a family centered response to death

• allows time to honor the life of the departed and may involve:

  ‣ family doing the necessary paperwork
  ‣ transportation
  ‣ body care
  ‣ ceremony
  ‣ making caskets, urns, shrouds, etc.
  ‣ disposition of the body
  ‣ having them lay in honor in the home for one, two or three days

 
Why have a Home Funeral?

• emphasizes the family maintaining control in the days following a death

• offers a beautiful and healing experience for loved ones

• is often more affordable and respectful to the environment than contemporary funeral industry-led funerals

Home Funerals — Yesterday and Today

People from all cultures have been caring for their dead regardless of the climate, type of illness, age of deceased, or traumatic circumstance surrounding the death for millennia. In the United States, this practice continued until the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately, it has become a common belief that individuals are no longer able to care for their own deceased loved ones and hired funeral professionals must provide the care. This is not the case.

At present time, families can take care of everything that is necessary on their own without hiring a funeral director in 41 states. In the other nine states (NY, NJ, NE, IL, FL, LA, MI, IN, CT, IA), the law impedes families from completing all tasks and may require hiring a funeral director to provide specific services. These usually include filling out paperwork and transportation, but hands-on care is still an option for families if that is desired. Regardless of where you live, you have the right to provide much, if not all, of the care necessary. Other than the legal requirements in your region, there is no right or wrong way to do things. Caring for the body of a loved one is safe and possible.