Funeral Planning Tips During the Coronavirus Pandemic

With the coronavirus pandemic disrupting life as we know it, we have had to make significant adjustments in our lives during the past several weeks. Some states and countries are in lockdown, while others are urging people not to go out.

These distressing times have made funerals very difficult. Whether you have lost a loved one to the virus or because of other reasons, you are denied long-serving traditions to which you are accustomed for saying your last goodbyes. Planning a funeral in normal circumstances is already difficult, and this current situation adds a whole other layer of stress.

Here are some tips that you may find helpful if you have to plan a funeral during the coronavirus pandemic.

• Plan and coordinate over the phone and video chats

While planning the funeral, it’s best to avoid meeting people in person and the best thing to do is work out everything over the phone, email, or video chats. The good news is that today, most funeral homes, as well as other businesses in the industry with whom you may need to get in touch, can coordinate with you over the phone and email, which makes the process much easier.

• Live-stream the funeral

At this time, large congregations of people are not allowed. So, one thing you can do is live-stream the funeral so that people won’t actually be physically present. There are plenty of live-streaming devices you can use, which are user-friendly, easy to set up, and can be accessed with ease from a phone, tablet, or laptop.

• Hold a memorial service at a later date

Nowadays, even before the pandemic, more and more families are opting to hold memorial services for their loved ones a few months after their death. This gives them more time to mourn properly and also reduces the stress of planning. While this is more ideal for cremation, if you are opting for burial, you can plan a small funeral now and plan a larger event for a later date.

Thanks for reading,

Karen