In most cases, death is not an emergency. There is no need to do anything at all other than sit quietly with the deceased…. for many hours. It can be helpful to remind them that they have died and that they are loved.
Embalming is not necessary or required by law and is quite toxic for the environment. A body can be kept easily at home, or a place of worship, simply by rotating ice packs every few hours, and keeping the room as cold as possible until the funeral and subsequent burial or cremation.
Caring for a body at home, or in the hospital or nursing home is perfectly acceptable. We offer assistance to family and friends with preparing a body, ritual washing, and dressing after death in preparation for visitation and lying in.
The intimacy involved with caring for your loved one after death may bring a level of reality and acceptance that is unexpected. The very sacred act of continuing care is an expression of love and appreciation…. of which there can never be too much. And the extended time to process the loss may be very beneficial for family and friends.
Safety and Care During a Home Funeral
Death Matters helps families care for a person who has died with dignity, while taking practical steps to protect everyone involved. For a home vigil, we help keep the room cool and use ice packs to cool the body. Each pack is enclosed in a sealed plastic bag and placed over clothing, never directly against the skin.
Ice packs used in body care are kept separate from food and food preparation areas. We guide families in safe handling and cleaning. We work with a funeral director for the formal arrangements unless the family chooses to manage those arrangements themselves, including registering the death with Vital Statistics Nova Scotia. If a communicable disease or another concern calls for specialized handling, Death Matters does not undertake body care and refers the family to the appropriate professionals.
We discuss each family’s circumstances before a home vigil so the care plan is both respectful and workable.