Death midwife also assists at the end of life

Death midwife also assists at the end of life

Building Bridges

The NHFA is reaching out to Funeral Directors who want to learn more about home funerals. We all want to honor a family's wishes at the time of death. How can we help each other educate about and facilitate natural death care? Consumers need to know their options, people in the industry need to know how to help them, and Home Funeral Guides and supportive Funeral Directors can help bridge the gap. At our Boulder, CO conference Sept. 22-24 we will concentrate on building bridges across all spectrum of natural death care.

Planning ahead

I've been getting a lot of calls lately from folks who would like to have a home funeral but haven't prepped their families ahead of time. Usually it doesn't work out for them to do it because someone in the inner circle is uncomfortable with it. That's understandable. It's not something many people know about and seems kinda weird if introduced in the moment. Who wants to create more strife/complications while grieving? It's sad, though, when with a little discussion and education ahead of time, a beautiful, relaxed, simple and natural home setting could be where loved ones grieve together in the first few days.

Organ/Tissue Donation and Home Funerals

You can be an organ or tissue donor and still have a home funeral!
I've been researching this lately and here's some good info:
Organ donation can only happen if you die in a hospital and have been on a ventilator.
There are many types of tissue donation (nerves, tendons, skin, cornea, etc) and it's much easier. The body is "retrieved" after death and returned 12-24 hours later, and family members can go with, if they want. Gift of Life Michigan takes care to make the body presentable. So, you can have the body brought back home and then proceed with a home vigil or home funeral.
The biggest issue I see is the interruption of having the body taken away right after death when the natural inclination is to not want to worry about details and just SIT with the body. It might seem like an interference.
What do you think?
M

Nelnamar: After Death Home Care

Nelnamar: After Death Home Care: "Just as midwives exist to help with birth at home, midwives also exist to help with  caring for the dead  at home.   Merilynne Rush  is a sk..."

Funeral directors, home funeral guides, casket makers and more

Had several fruitful conversations with funeral directors who are interested in learning more about how to do a home funeral. Great!
Met with a home funeral guide in L.A. who has helped with 8 home funerals so far this year!
Meeting great folks who make caskets - have to get one to have on hand.
Got asked to speak at the Great Lakes Folk Festival in August about home funeral and green burial.
Becoming very involved with the Nat'l Home Funeral Alliance.
Getting calls and email all the time.
This is so important and I'm happy to consult and spread the word.

How is it that we get so afraid of being around a dead person? Well, how many of us have been able to say good-bye in a supportive, calm, nurturing, natural and comfortable environment? It is a blessing to have this opportunity. Caring for your own dead, with support and planning, can bring healing, comfort and relief, honoring your loved one in these last acts of love.