Working With Funeral Professionals

As an end-of-life professional, whether you’re a hospice professional, death/end-of-life doula, chaplain, medical professional, or other end-of-life provider, you’re called to serve individuals and families at one of the most difficult times in their lives. You guide them through difficult decisions, encourage them to have meaningful conversations and support them during the final days and hours of life.

After the death of a loved one, however, families and friends may not be sure about what to do next when it comes to honoring their loved one in meaningful ways. The direction you provide can help ensure they have access to the information and resources they need to plan a tribute that honors their loved one and offers them an opportunity to gather and grieve with family and friends and begin to move forward after their loss. Establishing a relationship with a local funeral director can help ensure you have the information and resources the family need after they leave your care.

Collaborating with your local funeral service professional and funeral home is beneficial for you, your profession, the families you serve and your community. When you work closely with your local funeral home, you will:

Gain the knowledge to educate families about the service options available in their community, including casketed burial, cremation, celebrations of life, green funerals/natural burial, viewing options, interment options, cremation jewelry and more.

• Expand your network of end-of-life professionals.
• Grow your business.
• Meet others who share your compassion and commitment to serving families.

The Value of a Funeral/Memorial Service

The ritual of attending a funeral service deliver many benefits including:

• Providing a social support system for the grieving family and friends.
• Helping those grieving to understand death is final and that death is part of life.
• Integrating the grieving family back into the community.
• Easing the transition to a new life after the death of a loved one.
• Providing a safe haven for embracing and expressing emotions.
• Reaffirming one’s relationship with the person who died.
• Providing a time to honor the person's life and to say good-bye.

On the Remembering A Life Podcast

Funerals 101: Why Funerals Still Matter in Today's World

Death Doulas: Supporting Families During a Loved One's Final Days

A Little Background on Funeral Homes

There are roughly 20,000 funeral homes in the United States. Some are small, family-owned funeral homes that might only have one or two staff members who do everything, from meeting with families and making arrangements, to embalming and managing the funeral the day of. Those one or two staff members also likely handle all maintenance of the funeral home facility themselves. Other funeral homes are larger with more staff who each specialize in one or more aspects of funeral service – things like making arrangements, embalming, and managing the funeral the day of.

What all funeral directors have in common is that they are united in helping families remember their loved ones in meaningful ways and helping them move forward in their grief journey. Whether they help families plan a more traditional service in a funeral home or church, a graveside service with a natural burial, or a celebration of life at a local restaurant, the commitment to serving families is the same.

Today’s Funeral Professional

The face of funeral service is, quite literally, changing. In a profession that has historically been male-dominated, more and more women are choosing funeral service as a career. In fact, nearly 80 percent of mortuary science program graduates are women. In addition, 37 percent are People of Color. (National Funeral Directors Association, 2024)

As our communities become more and more diverse, representation matters. The diverse experiences and background that newly licensed funeral professionals bring to their work reflects the communities they serve. A team of funeral professionals at one funeral home may represent a wide variety of genders, faiths, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, lived experience, abilities and more, enabling them to meet families where they are and create a meaningful service that beautifully reflects the life of a loved one and their own beliefs and traditions.

Making the Connection to Better Serve Families - Getting Started is Easy!

Identify local funeral homes. Perhaps you already have a relationship with your local funeral home (that’s great!). If not, Remembering A Life makes it easy to find one with its Find a Funeral Home search tool on the home page of RememberingALife.com.

Connect by phone, online or in person. It’s as simple as saying, “I’d like to learn more about what you do. Let’s grab a cup of coffee.”

Exchange tours of your facilities/places of business.

Ask questions of funeral home staff.

• How does your staff work with families to help them remember loved ones?
• What service options do you offer?
• How do you work with families regarding budget?
• How can we work together to better serve families?
• How can I communicate the options you offer so the families I serve can create meaningful services for their loved ones?
• When do you start working with families when a loved one has a terminal diagnosis?

Discuss how you can work together to better serve families.

Collaborate on a community event (see Idea Guide for suggestions)