HOME FUNERAL GUIDE FOR FAMILIES

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A home funeral, at its most basic, involves after-death care of the deceased "undertaken" by loved ones rather than hired mortuary staff. It often includes some time (from several hours to a few days) where the person who has died is "laid out" at home or in another familiar setting. Asa trained and experienced home funeral guide, I educate clients about the choices they have and how to legally, logistically, and safely realize in-home care and ritual that many find comforting.

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This rite of passage of tending to our own recognizes death as part of the life spectrum and after-death care as a natural and intimate extension of the care given during life. Inherent in the home funeral is a deep respect for the physical body of the person who has died and a sequence of events that is slower paced than with conventional death care. It is a quieter, more peaceful and natural transition from dying, to death, to honoring the deceased, to final disposition. A home funeral gives families and loved ones the gift of time, with many moments to show love and to comfort each other. Often, when a loved one passes away, the most difficult moment is when the body is taken away. With a home funeral, when the time comes to say the final goodbye, the shift to their absence feels gentler, which can be remarkably soothing and comforting even in the depths of grief.

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While the transition of caring for the recently deceased at home, by the family, is as old as humankind, it is unfamiliar to many today. I first heard about the return to home funerals ten years before my medically fragile daughter died in 2016, and I became a home funeral guide so I would know what to do when the time came and to help others make this family-centered choice. The experience was profound for us and brought us a great sense of peace. Knowing what to do ahead of time and feeling confident about caring for her body made all the difference. The National Home Funeral Alliance is a terrific resource for everything you need to know to do it yourself, and if you choose, I have the education and expertise to consult with you and guide you so that you can feel confident about tending your loved one in this time-honored tradition.

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HOME FUNERAL EDUCATION TO GROUPS

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As a dedicated advocate committed to helping families become aware of and exercise their legal right to care for their own dead, I am available to speak to medical providers, hospice agencies, non-profits, schools and colleges, religious institutions, and various community groups. Speaking from my personal experience with my daughter's home funeral and as a funeral guide for other families, I bring a heartfelt perspective along with reassuring and practical information on family-directed home funerals.

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Who is better suited to care for and sit with our loved ones after death in a gentle, loving, respectful, dignified way, than those who have done so when they were alive?