When a loved one dies, honouring the deceased’s life with a gathering of friends and family is crucial. Hence, learning that you’re unable to have this type of gathering due to a pandemic can be disappointing if not devastating news.
However, within such circumstances, it is much more important to protect the health of family, friends, funeral home staff, clergy and other attendees to reduce the potential for community spread.
Steps to Take During a Pandemic
Organize a Virtual Service
Most people will be unwilling or unable to travel at this time. Hence, technology should be leveraged at to help overcome any limitations occasioned by the pandemic. The funeral service can be webcast or recorded and made available online later. Condolences, obituaries and video tributes can be placed online.
Implement Safety measures
It is important that during a pandemic, safety measures are executed effectively. For instance, safety measures during COVID-19 were that all attendees must wear masks, sanitation stations must be provided as well as facility deep cleaning and more.
You may decide to extend visitation hours to safely accommodate large groups of people. The number of attendees at the funeral, visitation, or reception should be limited to what is provided by the state’s legislation. Consider offering individual pre-packaged boxes or bags instead of buffet or family-style meals.
Your friends and family need to have a real sense of reassurance that they will not get any diseases. Therefore, let your visitors know that they should stay away and should be considerate of how others feel about being excessively near them.
Ask for Help
Losing a loved one can be a heart wrenching experience made even more devastating during a pandemic. In such critical times, you should not hesitate to ask for help. Funeral homes are a great resource as we can provide practical guidance on how to implement safety measures or plan an online funeral, memorial, or graveside service.
