Loved One Died as a Result of Complications of COVID 19

It is still possible to have your Dad, or any other deceased family member, to be present at a funeral and visitation if they died from COVID 19 complications?  CDC and State of Michigan and local health department guidance notes that funeral service professionals, using proper personal protective equipment, may safely and compassionately transfer, embalm, cremate and bury the bodies of those who have died of the novel coronavirus.  Pray Funeral Home, Inc. operates within the stated guidelines for funerals and gatherings for the State of Michigan.  You may find more details on those restrictions on our website.

Dad Can Still Be Present

As Dr. Alan Wolfelt of the Center for Loss and Transition states, “Seeing the body often helps people cope with the death. If they never spend time with the body, they are sometimes left with lingering doubts about the reality that the person actually died”. Seeing the deceased family member is one of the most important needs for survivors following a death. Strict safety precautions must be followed when touching or moving an unembalmed deceased person. Embalming or other preparations will help fulfill these precautions. It also makes it possible to have Dad present at his funeral.

Precautions We Take for COVID 19

When our staff at Pray Funeral Home, Inc. transfers a person who died from COVID 19, they disinfect the eyes, nose and mouth of the deceased person with a sanitizing solution. This solution will kill the COVID 19 virus prior to transportation of your loved one.  After this procedure they will transfer the deceased family member from the home, hospital, or nursing care facility. Upon returning to the funeral home, we take care of embalming—the deceased person is safest after this is complete. The procedure consists of circulating a restorative, disinfective, and preservative solution within the arterial system of the deceased. It is very similar to transfusions that some patients undergo as part of their regular medical treatments.

One advantage of embalming is the ability to see “Dad” in his normal appearance. Even though Dad is no longer living, family members often experience a sense of peace seeing him look normal. The embalming process helps erase the images of the ravages of a debilitating or consuming disease or trauma that their loved one experienced.

Even even though we take care of the sanitary needs for each family to reduce any possible transmission, caution is always best.  However it is till possible to have a deceased family member present for their funeral or memorial services. Our staff and funeral directors at Pray Funeral Home, Inc. can explain more about our preparation abilities and the advantages to your family at any time.  Simply call, email, or respond in the comment section for this blog post. Please subscribe for blog updates.