Funeral homes across Iowa have been making changes for visitations and burials to comply with social distancing regulations during this COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
At Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home and Crematory in Urbandale they are offering a variety of options to families that include live streaming or private family services. Families can also choose to postpone a memorial service, which is not normally recommended.
“We're also offering families, if they're having to cut off private family time, maybe just a couple of them come in and see their loved one for that closure," Mark Parrish, owner and funeral director, told WHO-TV 13. "Then we go to the cemetery and just do the interment work if they want to have that. We will offer a memorial service down the road for them, no additional charge so they can still have that family, or that public visitation service.”
He says while that conversation is never easy, families now know what to expect when planning a funeral. “People are wondering just what are the chances of my loved one passing away during this, so it's an emotional time, but it's gotten easier for families because they kind of know what to expect now,” Parrish says.
He urges families to contact their funeral home director before making a decision regarding the loss of a loved one. “I would tell families that if you do lose somebody, don't make an extra emotional decision during what is already an emotional time. Before you make any decisions on the type of service or your arrangement conference or what you're going to do, make sure you visit with the funeral director that's going to be working with your family, figure out all your options, talk with them, talk about their family, and then make an educated decision on that so that would be the first thing,” Parrish told WHO-TV 13.
Many funeral homes are also offering virtual consultations for families who want to limit travel due to COVID-19. Parrish says they are separating staff members across their different locations to protect their staff and their clients from the spread of the virus.
(Photo: WHO-TV 13)