The primary purpose of After Death Home Care is to provide you with the tools you need to care for your loved one in the home during the hours or days immediately following death. I can help you by providing information, helping you prepare, being on-call at the time of death, or coming to your home if you need it. Through use of this website, and phone or in-person consultation, the goal is to empower you to care for your own in the way that is right for you.
Pre-planning is very important, whether a death is imminent or not. It is necessary for you to know the state laws, prepare your home, and have support from family and friends. During a pre-planning consultation, the following questions can be addressed:
• How is the body cared for in the home and who will do this?
• Who will make the major decisions and be responsible?
• How long can the body remain in the home?
This depends on your wishes, the individual circumstances,
and the licensed funeral director with whom you choose to
work. A few hours to a few days is possible.
• What supplies might be needed?
Other than dry ice, you may wish to have a special casket or
shroud, music, flowers or decorations.
• How is the body transported to and from the home and who is
required to do this?
In Michigan a licensed funeral director is required to transport
the body and sign the death certificate.
• Who would you like to be involved and/or be present and when
will they be able to arrive?
• Would you like to have a special gathering, ceremony, funeral,
or wake?
Fees
A pre-planning consultation in your home costs $100.
The hourly rate for consultation or home care at the time of death is $75.
Some families call me at the time of death for assistance by phone. Others have me come to the home to assist in care in the initial hours after death.
Therefore, the total fee for After Death Home Care depends on the total hours of consultation or assistance provided. For example, a pre-planning home consultation and one hour of assistance at the time of death is $175.
Please note: Those services that are required to be provided through a licensed funeral director (including transport of the body, signing the death certificate, and cremation or burial) are paid directly to the funeral service with which you choose to work. The cost for cremation starts at $800. Thus, the total fee to you, using the above example, would be $975 for After Death Home Care and direct cremation through a funeral home. This compares to several thousand dollars if the body is cared for exclusively in a funeral home. If you choose funeral home viewing and/or burial, the cost is considerably higher.
Group Presentations
I am available to do presentations for community groups or congregations who would like to learn about home funeral and their options for caring for their own dead. Some congregations have formed committees to help members with home funerals (see www.homefuneralmanual.org).
Special Considerations
In rare circumstances, care of the deceased in the home is not appropriate or advisable. These circumstances include the following: severe accident or loss of integrity to the skin, certain medical conditions, extreme weather, or personal situations in the home that aren't conducive to the care that is needed.
