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Home Death Care & Family-led Funerals
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Why Home/Family Death Care
and a family-led funeral?
- Emphasises the family staying with their deceased loved one, involved and maintaining control in the days following a death
- Offers a beautiful and healing experience
- Is often more affordable, holistic and respectful to the environment than standard funeral industry-led Death Care
- Washing, preparing & anointing the body
- Dressing the body
- Cooling the body
- Holding Vigil
- Holding a family-led funeral
People from all cultures have been caring for their dead for millennia – regardless of the climate, type of illness, age of deceased or traumatic circumstance surrounding the death.
It has become a common belief that individuals are no longer able to care for their own dead and instead must hire funeral professionals. This is not the only legal option. Nor is embalming required by law.
Despite the rise in professional Death Care, it is, and has always been, legal in every state and territory in Australia for families to care for their loved ones from death until final disposition, and Tree of Life Services and Tree of Life Funerals can help you with all aspects of this. We can assist you in knowing what is required to be done for end of life and the completion of your legal documents so you can have your choices known and wishes followed, empowering you and who you choose to support you for preparation for your end of life. Provide you information about many of the choices you have both for living, and for after death. Support for you in your right to choose an end of life that is meaningful to you and consistent with your belief system and values (ethnic, cultural, religious/spiritual or personal). Assist you to put into place all your plans for the future as you wish.Advocate for and guide all involved through the medical/hospital/nursing world ensuring that you know all you need to. We can be your liaison, your ‘interpreter’ with your medical and other support teams. We will refer the support services and other resources you may need or prefer. Provide emotional support to all involved, before, during and after death.
It has become a common belief that individuals are no longer able to care for their own dead and instead must hire funeral professionals. This is not the only legal option. Nor is embalming required by law.
Despite the rise in professional Death Care, it is, and has always been, legal in every state and territory in Australia for families to care for their loved ones from death until final disposition, and Tree of Life Services and Tree of Life Funerals can help you with all aspects of this. We can assist you in knowing what is required to be done for end of life and the completion of your legal documents so you can have your choices known and wishes followed, empowering you and who you choose to support you for preparation for your end of life. Provide you information about many of the choices you have both for living, and for after death. Support for you in your right to choose an end of life that is meaningful to you and consistent with your belief system and values (ethnic, cultural, religious/spiritual or personal). Assist you to put into place all your plans for the future as you wish.Advocate for and guide all involved through the medical/hospital/nursing world ensuring that you know all you need to. We can be your liaison, your ‘interpreter’ with your medical and other support teams. We will refer the support services and other resources you may need or prefer. Provide emotional support to all involved, before, during and after death.
The ancient practice of Holding Vigil
Holding Vigil is the practice of staying with our dead and accompanying them until we sense that the time has come to physically separate and let go.
We know from many diverse Death Care practices in cultures around the world that this often happens on the third day.
It appears that three days allows the human psyche the necessary time to go through the stages of trauma, despair and finally the gentle beginning of acceptance. These stages often involve the washing and preparing of the body and then inviting others into this sacred space to see their loved one who has died and be witnessed in this experience of deep love and loss.
When the body is in the family’s care, all of this can take place.
When the body is not in the family’s care, the abrupt physical separation from a loved one often creates a void and can feel jarring because these natural human needs and processes cannot take place when, and in the way that is needed.
It appears that three days allows the human psyche the necessary time to go through the stages of trauma, despair and finally the gentle beginning of acceptance. These stages often involve the washing and preparing of the body and then inviting others into this sacred space to see their loved one who has died and be witnessed in this experience of deep love and loss.
When the body is in the family’s care, all of this can take place.
When the body is not in the family’s care, the abrupt physical separation from a loved one often creates a void and can feel jarring because these natural human needs and processes cannot take place when, and in the way that is needed.
Until the 19th century, Death Care and funerals were family and community affairs. The family, sometimes with assistance from an experienced community member, laid out the body, dressed or draped it, and ordered a coffin from the local carpenter or made it themselves. People from all cultures have been caring for their dead for millennia – regardless of the climate, type of illness, age of deceased or traumatic circumstance surrounding the death.
Where once we would have cared for our aging and dying at home, these days our elders are cared for in aged care facilities and hospitals, which can often contribute to an isolated, lonely and disempowered end of life and death. Tree of Life Funerals and Tree of LIfe Services can change this with providing specific services, support, education, and walking alongside people towards the end of their lives as well as their families and friends, through the many stages of end of life, providing non-medical, non-clinicial care for people on their end of life journey. Home Death Care and utilising Techni-ice with an insulated blanket is an alternative to using a mortuary, although we can arrange a transfer to an external mortuary if required. Home Death Care is not for everyone, we understand that, so we can arrange for holding the body in an external mortuary until it's time for the funeral service to be held.
Where once we would have cared for our aging and dying at home, these days our elders are cared for in aged care facilities and hospitals, which can often contribute to an isolated, lonely and disempowered end of life and death. Tree of Life Funerals and Tree of LIfe Services can change this with providing specific services, support, education, and walking alongside people towards the end of their lives as well as their families and friends, through the many stages of end of life, providing non-medical, non-clinicial care for people on their end of life journey. Home Death Care and utilising Techni-ice with an insulated blanket is an alternative to using a mortuary, although we can arrange a transfer to an external mortuary if required. Home Death Care is not for everyone, we understand that, so we can arrange for holding the body in an external mortuary until it's time for the funeral service to be held.