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Those are a few of the ways the virus has made it more difficult to guide families through their time of need, local funeral directors say.
The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting all walks of life — and beyond.
Funerals are smaller, traditional church services are being forgone in favor of graveside proceedings and simple acts of human kindness, like hugging a grieving widow, are off limits. Those are a few of the ways the virus has made it more difficult to guide families through their time of need, local funeral directors say.
“Some people are only doing basic burials and hoping that maybe after this is all over, they can have a nice memorial service in a chapel,” said Amy Guerry, owner of Gateway-Forest Lawn Funeral Home.
Guest lists for funeral services have shrunk to include close family members of the deceased and few else, Guerry said, while many older relatives are simply choosing to stay home because they are at greater risk of developing serious complications from the virus.
“People are finally realizing how contagious this thing is,” Guerry said.
The National Funeral Directors Association is requiring affiliated funeral homes to practice recommendations published by the Centers for Disease Control, said Debbie Dees, owner of Dees-Parrish Family Funeral Home.
“And it’s hard for us as these families’ supporters not to hug them when they’ve just lost a loved one,” Dees said. “You can imagine someone just lost a loved one, lost a friend — how hard would it be for you to not show some affection?”
People also have to abide by the six-foot rule and space themselves apart.
Guerry said she’s had to swap family members in and out of a building for viewings, and the funeral services themselves have to take place in the cemetery.
“We cannot have a funeral inside a building, like a church or a chapel,” Guerry said. “It’s been rough for the people who like traditional funerals — that’s their way of closure.
Dees said the change has been hard on her clients, but they’ve been understanding for the most part.
“They’re taking this seriously,” she said.
For many families, the viewing is the first time they’ve seen their loved one in weeks due to limitations on hospice and hospital visits, Dees said.
“Can you imagine not being able to see your mom, and you know she’s passing?” Dees said.
Southerners are used to funerals bringing together the community, a time where people come together and help someone in need through whatever means they can, Dees said.
“We all cook for each other, the ladies at the church are used to feeding the families,” she said. “But now, you can’t and you don’t know what to do.”
The pandemic has also made it harder for funeral homes to cover overhead costs, as they are more limited in the services they can offer, Guerry said.
“You might have to cut back some hours on your staff at things like that,” Guerry said. “We’re fortunate — we’ve been OK — but there’s some other funeral homes that I’m sure have been affected.”
The global shortage of surgical masks is also poised to hit the funeral industry hard, Dees said.
“We tried to order some masks, and they’re three months out,” she said.
Guerry’s brother-in-law, Bill Guerry, who owns Guerry Funeral Home, said funeral attendance is probably down 80 percent from the typical service, which might see up to 100 people.
“Everybody’s trying to use good common sense,” he said. “They’re practicing social distancing, and we are too, as a staff.”
The funeral industry has no choice but to adapt, Bill Guerry said.
“People still got to grieve,” he said. “You can’t stop the grieving process, but we’re here to help them accept what’s going on the best we can.”
Brenda Combs, owner of Combs Funeral Home, said Saturday will mark her first funeral since the crisis began.
“We’re getting as much information as we can through the telephone and we’re not really having much contact in person,” Combs said. “This will be our first interaction with the community since the pandemic. It’s going to be a small gathering, essentially just family.”