Funerals these days.

Life – and death – continue. Having just written about how to lead funerals and memorial services – and working in the hospital – we’re getting questions about what happens to services in the current health situation. I wanted to do some writing about that, but others are creating helpful resources. Here are some of the best so far. I’ll keep updating this list.

+++

• When a loved one dies during the coronavirus pandemic helps people think through options and decisions about many of the questions we are hearing.
• “4 Steps to Navigate a Death during a Pandemic”  (Have a plan, offer options, share grief, offer hope.) 
• The Massachusetts Council of Churches has an extensive and helpful description of how to plan and conduct services. It includes a sample funeral policy for congregations.

Loss in a pandemic: Supporting grievers. – this is very helpful perspective on how to offer support in a variety of ways.

This article to funeral directors from Alan Wolfelt, a grief expert, talks about why services matter for the process of grieving and how people can be helped as their uncertainties are addressed.

Also by Alan Wolfelt, “Coronavirus and the Six Needs of Mourning“points out that there is loss involved in all the changes we’re expereincing.

The National Funeral Directors association has these suggestions about visitations and funerals, drawing on CDC guidelines. Because of its audience, it talks about the challenges of streaming, but it’s helpful for the rest of us to know.

A story from the northwest suburbs of Chicago about funeral homes addressing the concerns.

A global perspective on funerals during the pandemic