Now, more than ever, funeral homes are essential.

Because death will always be part of life, funeral homes will continue to stay open to serve the needs of their communities. And funeral directors will continue to do what they have always done – provide comfort and strength to families going through loss and crisis.

As the coronavirus crisis impacts the world, we are having to change many things about our lives, including the rituals surrounding how we say goodbye to our loved ones.

This doesn’t mean, however, that our rituals need to stop. It just means these rituals, like many things, must be altered.

Grief and the need to mourn do not take a break simply because the rest of life is on pause.

Funeral homes have always been in the practice of dealing with those who passed away due to infectious illness. In many ways for them this is business as usual. However, funeral homes are taking extra precautions during this time to protect their employees. They may wear masks themselves or request that people attending a visitation or service wear masks.

Funeral directors are also making adjustments and providing options to families in order to allow for mourning but still keep everyone safe. Funeral homes are scaling back on how they memorialize their loved ones by changing their service protocols. For example, some have had to limit the number of mourners at any given time to comply with federal guidelines.

Many homes are live streaming their services to allow those who could not attend the ability to be participate in the celebration of life for someone they have lost.

Funeral homes continue to stay on top of current CDC, WHO, state and federal guidelines to ensure that they are providing a safe environment for all.

If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to your funeral director.