Memorial Services After COVID-19

With COVID-19 ravaging the United States, hospitals and funeral homes have been hit hard—but not as hard as the families who are mourning the loss of their loved ones. When we grieve losses, we turn to traditional ceremonies to mark the occasion and offer closure. Unfortunately, the pandemic has made it more difficult for families and friends to gather and remember the deceased together. If you’re coping with a death in the family, it’s wise to plan a memorial service after COVID-19 is over in Chicago, IL. Here’s what to consider.

What did your loved one want?

In normal times, the funeral your loved one wanted would be the most important consideration beyond budget. During the pandemic, it’s much harder to hold a traditional funeral. If the deceased left specific instructions, it may be preferable to wait until after the pandemic is over so that they can be carried out to the letter. If they didn’t leave instructions, or there’s a good deal left up to your discretion, you might want to conduct a smaller ceremony.

What kind of service are you comfortable holding?

As we all know, holding gatherings of any kind—especially indoors—is a health and safety hazard. Are you comfortable with having a service at this time? What do other loved ones think? If there’s some hesitation, hosting a memorial several months or even a year down the road is a perfectly acceptable, safe alternative.

How will you take safety precautions?

If you decide to go through with a traditional service, you’ll need to consider safety first. Decide how you’ll enforce social distancing between people of different households, as well as how you’ll enforce mask wearing. If you think the guests will be non-compliant, it may be better to wait until later.

How many people do you want to attend?

Right now, funerals in Illinois are limited to just 25 people when in a funeral home. That makes holding a ceremony incredibly difficult, especially when the deceased was well loved by their family, friends and community. Graveside services may also be limited—ask the cemetery what kind of regulations are currently in place. If you want to give people the chance to mourn together, consider waiting until the pandemic has passed.

Do you want to add streaming capability?

Should you decide to go ahead and hold a small funeral during the pandemic, you can always stream the ceremony online so others can attend. Many social media platforms offer live streaming functionality, or you can record the ceremony and upload it later.

Are you prepared to skip refreshments?

Finally, most people offer refreshments after a funeral, so people can gather to share memories and mourn together. During COVID-19, that’s not exactly safe. If a post-funeral gathering is an important part of your family traditions, you may need to postpone until it’s safer to do so.

At Marik-Baken Funeral Services Ltd., we understand how difficult it is to grieve in these unprecedented times. Call us to talk about planning memorial services after COVID-19 in Chicago, IL.

Categorised in: Memorial Services

This post was written by Writer