I will always work to honor the wishes of the dying and their caregivers. But there are possibilities that many may not be aware of. The services funeral homes offer can be valuable but they have become so ubiquitous that many may choose cremation as a simpler and less expensive alternative. I hope at a minimum I can encourage questions now rather than in haste under pressure. There are alternatives surrounding the care of our departed loved ones that we may not be aware of.

The first is that the services of a funeral home are not legally required. When someone has died, within the first 24 to 48 hours most states only require that the deceased be embalmed or refrigerated. Chemical embalming was invented during the American Civil War to preserve the bodies of officers who would return home for burial. With the invention of refrigeration in the early twentieth century embalming became unnecessary. Embalming can only be done by a licensed individual usually connected with a funeral home thus giving the impression mortuary are legally required. They are not.

Certainly a coroner, hospice nurse or doctor will need to sign the death certificate. But the first thing to remember is there is no rush to remove your deceased loved one. Often it helps to bring closure if the family can take the time to grieve together with the body. Many families also choose to assume the loving responsibility of bathing and dressing the person. This was the norm for past generations and still is in many modern cultures such as the Jewish, Hindu and Orthodox Christians.

At this point the dry ice can be purchased and wrapped in pillowcases or paper bags and placed under the departed or on their abdomen with perhaps a quilt laid on top. The ice should be replaced every 24 hours. The body can be viewed in the home or transported to the church if the deceased requested funeral services with a religious body they are connected with.

It’s important also to know that an expensive coffin is also not legally required. Bear in mind the coffin is being buried in the grown and hinders the natural return of the body to the soil. A simple wooden coffin could be acquired prior to this moment; construction or transportation of one may be difficult with time constraints. Also vaults are also only required by the cemetery; it helps their landscaping maintenance. They are likely not required with a private cemetery.

These are all things that ideally should be thought through well before the death of a loved one. My role is to help understand the opportunities available and avoid hasty and often expensive decisions.