Home Funerals – Some Things to Consider
Home Funerals – Some Things to Consider
A home funeral is a family – and community-centered approach to deathcare where the deceased’s body is kept at home for a period after death, allowing for private, personalized care and rituals before final disposition. This practice offers a way to slow the grieving process, provide a more intimate farewell, and extend the relationship with the deceased outside the confines of a traditional funeral home. It may involve activities like washing the body, holding viewings, and coordinating paperwork and cremation/burial.
Key Aspects of a Home Funeral
- Family and Community Involvement: The focus is on non-commercial, family-led care, engaging social networks and community members in hands-on activities like bathing and dressing the body, which were once common before the rise of funeral homes.
- Personalized Care and Rituals: Families have the freedom to design the funeral service according to their specific cultural, religious, and personal wishes, creating a meaningful and memorable experience.
- Extended Time with the Deceased: Keeping the body at home provides an opportunity to process the reality of death and loss in a familiar, comfortable setting, which can aid in grief absorption.
- Meaningful Grieving: The hands-on nature of caring for the body, or simply being present with it, can help families move through grief in a healthy and integrated way.
- Legal and Safe: Home funerals are a legal practice that does not require immediate removal of the body by a funeral home.
Activities that May Be Included
- Body Care: Washing, cooling, and dressing the body, and laying it out for viewing in a comfortable space in the home.
- Viewings and Wakes: Inviting friends and family to spend time with the deceased, share memories, and offer mutual support.
- Rituals and Ceremonies:
- Conducting ceremonies that are personally meaningful, potentially incorporating religious or cultural traditions.
- Paperwork and Logistics: Filing death certificates, obtaining transportation permits, and coordinating the final disposition (burial or cremation).
Where to Begin
- Follow the Deceased’s Wishes: Start with any known wishes or preferences of the person who died.
- Contact a Death Doula or Alternative Provider: Seek guidance from a death doula or alternative death care professional who can support and educate you through the process.
- Consult a Funeral Director for Logistics: For tasks like obtaining permits or managing the final disposition, you may need to contact a traditional funeral director, even for a home funeral.
- Plan for Community and Support: Determine what space you will need for viewings and how to best accommodate the needs of visiting friends and family.
Here are some resources:
Dying with Dignity Canada – home funeral
Canadian Integrative Network for Death Education & Alternatives