To make this uncertain time less overwhelming, we want to share any tips and advice that we can about how to handle the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Although everyone is impacted by this, the funeral profession is feeling the weight of this crisis more than most. Families need more online funeral options than ever before, as in-person services are being switched to live streaming and families want online payment options. 

The funeral profession is quickly being disrupted like never before, but together, we will get through this. To help make things easier for your staff and client families, here are some tips and advice for handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

What We’ve Been Hearing from Funeral Directors 

As your funeral home’s staff adjusts to the impact of COVID-19, we want to be right there with you. Our staff is following the protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and working from home, but we’re still here for you like always. We’ve listened to what you’ve been saying and are working to help in any way that we can. 

For help with live streaming funeral services, download our Facebook Live Guide that goes over the step by step process for starting a live video. 

For funeral homes with Frazer-powered websites, Tribute Pay comes free. With this tool, families can pay for their funeral expenses online. To enroll in Tribute Pay, check out this article. 

Stay Connected to Your Community 

Take advantage of technology and the internet to stay connected to your client families and community. Your funeral home’s website, social media pages, and email are all great ways to conveniently and quickly share information. Of course, there’s always the ability to call or text the family, as well. You can even have funeral arrangement meetings and grief support group meet-ups via video chat so you can still see each other.  

Share Helpful Online Resources  

To ease families’ fears and concerns, share helpful online resources about COVID-19, funeral planning, and coping with grief. You can include information from the CDC and the NFDA about COVID-19, blog posts about grief and funeral planning, your funeral planning guide and/or checklist, grief email subscription, and any other useful online resources. 

Here are a few helpful links to start with: 

• 8 Things Families Can Do If They Can’t Attend the Funeral Service 
• The Top Grief Subscriptions for The Families You Serve 
• Dos and Don’ts of Grieving a Loss of a Loved One Online 
• Funeral Planning 101: Important Funeral Terms You Should Know 
• What Is Disenfranchised Grief and How Can You Cope? 

Does your funeral home have any COVID-19 tips you’d like to share? Share them with us in the comments below.