How to Have a Home Funeral During a Pandemic

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(adapted from Home Funerals Guides and Pandemic Care)
Safe and Appropriate Home Body Care for the Deceased
  • Limit the number of people involved in all facets of care
  • Use the same universal precautions that were used during home care, including masks, gloves, gowns, etc.
  • Put a mask on the deceased to avoid respiration of droplets
  • Place ice higher on the back of the neck
  • Avoid chest compression or unnecessary moving
  • Insist on social distancing in all phases

Filing Paperwork Without a Funeral Director
  • Paper death certificates may be difficult to obtain or submit due to social distancing in offices; filing electronically via a local funeral director may be the only expeditious way to obtain a death certificate
  • Usual filing procedures may be suspended or modified; contact your town clerk (or appropriate town, city, county, or state officials in other locales) for temporary protocols and restrictions
  • Be prepared that Medical Examiner’s offices may insert themselves into routine non-COVID-19 deaths as a public health precaution

If a Funeral Director is Needed
  • Make calls until you find a funeral director supportive of family involvement who is willing to help with filing and body transport while honoring the home funeral elements that are still possible and important to you
  • For general context on home funerals in ordinary circumstances, visit our How to Have a Home Funeral page