Funeral home workers bracing for what’s to come from the COVID-19 pandemic

BOSTON — Workers at funeral homes across the state have already been on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis for several weeks, but now they’re bracing themselves for what could happen next as the situation continues to unfold.

Jim Ginley, who operates funeral homes in Franklin and Medway, says he’s already receiving more calls for service and he expects more will come as the coronavirus crisis hits its peak.

“I’ve seen several deaths over the weekend,” said Ginley. “We’re trying to keep things going, trying to get people the certificates signed, doctors are being more helpful than they used to be. So we can keep things going if we start to get a lot of calls. We’ll just have to take it as it comes.”

In Worcester, at the Graham, Putnam and Mahoney Funeral Home, funeral director Peter Stefan says his staff is also prepared. A major part of that is taking maximum precautions as they handle the body of a person who has just passed.

“Protective pouches, disinfectant sprays, the zippers in both pouches will be sealed in an adhesive so the microbes cant get out thru the zipper and we wear the N-95 masks, rubber gloves and so fort,” said Stefan. “We’ve advised people, for their protection, the family and everybody else, is immediate cremations or immediate burials. Embalming is not proven to protect the public health, it’s only for preservation and viewing and transportation. If you did show anybody, you’d have to use a glass cover over the top half of the casket.”

While families cannot hold funerals for their loved ones due to the pandemic, funeral homes across the state have been holding memorial services, limited to just ten people or less. Stefan says that, if a family has a viewing, he takes more precautions.

We are taking the temperatures of people, wash their hands, put the rubber gloves on as soon as they come in," said Stefan. “[If their] temperature is fine, they come in, they don’t even touch the pen that you sign your name in.”

As funeral home operators and staff work in this stark new reality of the coronavirus, they also can’t lose sight of the suffering and loss each death leaves in its wake - which isn’t an easy balance, as the number of COVID-19 related deaths is expected to rise in the next couple of days.

“I think we’ll be able to handle it,” said Ginley. “Obviously, I think funeral homes will help each other if it becomes an issue, but right now, I think we are in a good state to take care of problems as they come up.”

Funeral directors who spoke to Boston 25 News said they have never experienced anything like this, but that systems and protocols in place ensure they’re ready to get through this.

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