“It’s not the same as being face to face, but 50 years ago, it would be completely different.”. "We used to sit and have a conversation — a handshake and a hug," Keohane said. But from April 12, the rules … Each DPL Board of Registration has their own regulations, statutes and policies. “They lack that ability to say goodbye, and unfortunately a lot of people are dying alone because of this.”. Read them here. These safety measures instruct embalmers and funeral directors to treat all human blood and bodily fluids as if they were known to be infectious. © Gannett Co., Inc. 2021. Some are getting creative, such as having the procession travel through a neighborhood so neighbors can say their goodbyes, or driving by a church for a brief ceremony outside before going to the cemetery. QUINCY — As the COVID-19 pandemic hit Italy hard in March, followed by New York City, John Keohane said he knew his family’s funeral homes would soon get very busy. Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. “We’re putting in very long days and letting the funeral homes know to inform families that it will take a little bit longer than normal for them to have the cremated remains back in their hands if they’re planning a hold a small service,” Walker said. The funeral homes received 15 calls in one day from families needing to make arrangements for their loved ones, and Keohane said staff worked seven days a week, sometimes hosting several funerals in one day. “This is nothing like we’ve seen in our entire careers.”. Keohane said COVID-19 has "ramped up" the precautions staff has always taken to prevent the spread of infectious disease. Funeral directors and funeral service professionals can find CDC information, legal forms and other pertinent information related to COVID-19. LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) announced today that FEMA has begun accepting applications for funeral assistance for Massachusetts residents who’ve lost loved ones to COVID-19.Trahan helped pass the funeral assistance program as part of the American Rescue Plan. “While no amount of money can heal the loss of a loved one, this grant program can help ease … Choose the plan that’s right for you. As part of your funeral home’s aftercare outreach to families, you may face tough questions around whether or not having a memorial service for a loved one who passed without a gathering is a … Resources from various state agencies related to COVID-19. The current national lockdown rules on attending funerals mean services are allowed to go ahead with no more than 15 mourners. Documents are signed using an online program, something that was once only necessary for families out of state. City Burial In the event that a family desires a City-provided burial, OCME, as the City mortuary, will matt: as if the coronavirus crisis was not enough, funerals, like those here at the golden gate funeral home, have been affected in a major way. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Mass.gov® is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “The hardest part of it all is that these families can’t get into the nursing homes or hospitals, so when they drop their loved one off at the door and they pass away, they don’t get to see them again,” MacDonald said. Wishes of your deceased family member or friend may continue to be honored. Often small, family-run operations, funeral homes also have to take extra precautions to keep employees healthy at a time when they're needed more than ever. Your feedback will not receive a response. Funeral homes and crematories across the state are seeing an unprecedented increase in the need for their services at a time when they also have to innovate and help families mourn in a new way, often from a distance and with fewer people than they'd normally expect. MacDonald said many families his funeral home has served are planning small, private visitations and burials in hopes of doing a larger celebration of life in the future. They may not know if a person has died from COVID-19 or if other persons at the same location have COVID-19. They may not know if a person has died from COVID-19 or if other persons at the same location have COVID-19. Policies, Regulations and Statutes (Embalmers and Funeral Directors) Find the rules and regulations governing embalmers and funeral directors. • Funeral homes can hold decedents in cold storage or embalm decedents and store on site in non-refrigerated storage (depending on the funeral home’s capabilities and as space permits) until the cemetery has availability for burial. Funeral Homes Overwhelmed With COVID-19 Cases As the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus increases, so does the strain on funeral homes across the country. In the first few weeks of April, as COVID-19 took hold in Massachusetts, Keohane said their funeral homes in Quincy, Weymouth and Hingham hosted double the number of services than during a typical month. More than 5,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Massachusetts, with seniors age 80 and older who lived in long-term care facilities accounting for many of the deaths. 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