How to make a Home Funeral Happen

At some point in the death care process, authorities will need to be involved – regardless of the circumstance or location of death, regardless of plans for a home funeral and/or home burial. There are immediate steps to take when someone dies. Most official personnel will assume that a family wants its loved one transported to a funeral home. Most will also assume that the family wants it to happen immediately. Some will even make the decision on the family's behalf. If you’ve already verified that home funerals are allowed in your state, the decedent’s legal representative has the right to take custody of the decedent’s body. So how do you conduct a home funeral?

If at all possible, have a home funeral plan and support team in place. The home funeral plan must account for state regulations and must describe the process (including wishes) in detail.

If you are caught by surprise by a death of a loved one and do not know the home funeral regulations in your state, you have time to do research and decide. If a loved one dies at home of natural causes, you can keep the body at home for a few hours at a minimum. You can also move the body to a funeral home while you do your research but do expect to pay for refrigeration. The same approach works for situations where a loved one dies at a medical facility or is processed by a medical examiner.

Lisa S.
August 17, 2010