Home funerals pose no health risks under normal circumstances. (According to the World Health Organization, "Ordinary contact or handling of an
intact, unautopsied body does not pose a risk, and cosmetic work may be undertaken
without any special precautions.")
Home funerals offer a more humane and healing alternative to the usual American custom of giving your loved one's body to a professional who will take full charge of the body for you.
Individuals have the legal right to care for their own at death. They can file the death certificate and file obituaries with the local newspapers.
The most important benefits of Home Funeral to the bereaved are psychological. The healing and acceptance of death is easier for the family when they are able to touch, see and spend time with their lost loved one.
Even in states where a funeral director is required, home funerals are far less expensive. An average American funeral costs more than $6,000. The home funeral version can cost a lot less.
Many people do not know is that it is legal for them to take their loved ones home (in their own car) and to keep them (if cooled) for a number of days. Currently home funerals are legal in 45 states. Many people do not realize that embalming is not mandatory.
Legally, you can take your own dead home with you as long as you get the proper permit for transporting, and follow approved procedures for cooling, and length of time before burial.
Sometimes agencies such as hospitals, morgues and even funeral homes may try to discourage you from taking custody of your deceased loved one. Oftentimes, this is due to their unfamiliarity of citizen’s rights to provide at-home death care for their own loved ones. In these cases, it is vital that you obtain a clear understanding of your local laws and regulations, be ready with the appropriate paperwork, and most importantly - be persistent. Your preparation and informed determination are essential to overcome such administrative objections to you taking back possession of your loved one’s body in order to bring your loved one home.
Village Memorial promotes family led home funerals when the loved one has not suffered serious trauma, serious diseases, undergone autopsy, or is going to be shipped out of the state or country.
In these cases, Village Memorial recommends you seek the assistance of a professionally licensed funeral home who is friendly to the practice of home funerals to care for your loved one, prior to carrying out the funeral services at your home.
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