[HistoricCemeterieslistserv] Resources from the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board

Wed Apr 8 10:57:03 PDT 2020

To Oregon Mortuary & Cemetery Board Interested Persons:

I hope you're all having a good week.

Here is some information that I'd like to share:

NFDA (National Funeral Directors Association) has a dedicated COVID-19 webpage<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19> that includes important topics such as:

  *   Funeral Home Owners<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19/funeral-home-owners>
  *   Financial Relief<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19/financial-relief>
  *   Transfers & Arrangements: Interacting With Families<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19/financial-relief>
  *   Technical Information<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19/technical-information>
  *   Cremation & Burial<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19/cremation-burial>
  *   Visitation & Funerals<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19/visitations-funerals>
  *   Death Overseas & Ship Outs<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19/deaths-overseas-ship-outs>
  *   OSHA Guidance<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19/osha-guidance>
  *   Key Information Resources<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19/key-informational-resources>

Also, for those of you who are encountering requests for streaming funerals, NFDA has drafted The Complete Legal Packet for Streaming or Posting Recorded Funeral Services<https://www.nfda.org/Portals/0/NFDAORG/Resources/ComplianceLegal/LegalDocuments/Copyright/NFDA_Forms_Packet_For_Funeral_Homes_That_Stream_Or_Post_Recorded_Funeral_Services_On_The_Internet.doc?ver=2020-03-20-123829-857>.

CANA (Cremation Association of North America) also has a dedicated COVID-19 webpage<https://www.cremationassociation.org/blogpost/776820/341726/Business-Planning-for-Outbreak> that includes helpful information such as:
CARING FOR THE DECEASED

For any staff who handle the dead, the National Association of Funeral Directors (NFDA)<https://www.nfda.org/covid-19> and the Funeral Service Association of Canada (FSAC/ASFC) have useful resources for embalming, prep room, and removal staff in accordance with CDC guidelines<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-postmortem-specimens.html> (including specific guidelines for funeral homes<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#anchor_1584390222777>) which clearly state recommendations for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), transporting the deceased, and cleaning surfaces. In the case of embalming, funeral homes are encouraged to follow families wishes assuming that the firm and embalmer have access to PPE and the time to embalm safely. Remember, as important as it is to wear PPE when handling the deceased, it is also important to follow the recommended sequence<https://www.cdc.gov/hai/pdfs/ppe/ppe-sequence.pdf> for putting on and removing the equipment.

Cremation is a sure way to destroy any contagion on a deceased body which is why it's preferred for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Ebola, but the WHO has stated that "people who have died from COVID-19 can be buried or cremated<https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331538/WHO-COVID-19-lPC_DBMgmt-2020.1-eng.pdf>. Confirm national and local requirements that may dictate the handling and disposition of the remains." The CDC has not released definitive information on how long the coronavirus lives in a deceased body, but they do say that "there is currently no known risk associated with being in the same room at a funeral or visitation service with the body of someone who died of COVID-19.<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#anchor_1584390222777>" As always, families should do what's right for them. They can have funerals and burials as long as they follow their state and local mandates regarding the number of people and social distancing guidelines.

DIRECTING THE FUNERAL

And don't forget that you also host community events with their own considerations. The CDC has special guidelines for "Mass Gatherings or Large Community Events<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/mass-gatherings-ready-for-covid-19.html>" to help you plan and host safe services. Primarily, they recommend having supplies on hand to keep everyone healthy, namely hand sanitizer, soap, and tissues. Keep surfaces like door handles and light switches clean<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-study/coronavirus-can-persist-in-air-for-hours-and-on-surfaces-for-days-study-idUSKBN2143QP>, and remember to talk to your community volunteers about being safe, too.

With increasing emphasis on mitigating the spread of COVID-19, in areas with active outbreaks, the CDC recommends community-based interventions including "event cancellations, social distancing, and creating employee plans to work remotely<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html>," careful planning and communications with your families is important. Social distancing, in particular, runs counter to the spirit of the funeral by discouraging gatherings of more than 10 people, encouraging vulnerable populations to stay away, and avoiding direct contact with others. Fortunately, you are professionals trained in talking to families with compassion and understanding.

On March 15, 2020, the CDC recommended that any social gathering of more than 50 people be canceled of postponed for eight (8) weeks<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/mass-gatherings-ready-for-covid-19.html>. This would include funeral services among the many other life events for which we gather be curtailed through, roughly, mid-May. Similarly, the White House has recommended everyone avoid gatherings of ten (10) or more through the end of April. In some areas<https://iccfa.com/covid19-state-orders/>, any visitation or service has been prohibited. These recommendations will require your business to develop plans and policies to accommodate your families' preference for service while maintaining the health of your community. Ceremony expert Glenda Stansbury provided a free resource<https://www.cremationassociation.org/members/blog_view.asp?id=776820&post=344348> to help you and your families find creative solutions, such as livestreamed services, to protect your business and the communities you serve. Grief expert Dr. Alan Wolfelt<https://www.centerforloss.com/2020/03/funeral-directors-pandemic/> shared his suggestions on holding some form of ceremony at the Center for Loss blog.

Develop a plan with recommendations from the CDC including how to communicate with relevant parties. Mostly, be in touch with state and community partners to help respond to changing needs of your community. Working together facilitates communications, response planning, and organizing when the need arises. The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)<https://www.cste.org/page/EpiOnCall> has a list of who to contact at the state-level and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)<https://www.naccho.org/membership/lhd-directory> is a good resource for local-level needs. These are great new additions to your connections with first responders, hospices, and other community leaders.
ICCFA (International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association) also has a dedicated COVID-19 webpage<https://iccfa.com/covid19-resources/> and recently published the following article: The CARES Act | What it Means for Deathcare Businesses<https://iccfa.com/wp-content/uploads/COVID19_ICCFA_Dykema.pdf>.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has relief options and additional resources<https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources> for small businesses, which include the Paycheck Protection Program<https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp>.

The Oregonian recently posted an article titled Oregon small business owners: Here's where to find help to weather the coronavirus pandemic<https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/04/oregon-small-business-owners-find-help-to-weather-the-coronavirus-pandemic.html>.

Finally, if you haven't already, it would be extremely beneficial for you to sign up for Oregon Health Authority updates by using this link<https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORDHS/subscriber/new?topic_id=ORDHS_816>.

Have a wonderful week & make sure to take some time for yourself to decompress and recharge.

Thanks.

Chad

Chad Dresselhaus
Executive Director
Oregon Mortuary & Cemetery Board
Regulating Death Care Facilities and Practitioners in Oregon.

800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 430
Portland, OR 97232
Direct Line 971.673.1502 | Fax 971.673.1501
chad.w.dresselhaus at state.or.us<mailto:chad.w.dresselhaus at state.or.us>
http://www.oregon.gov/mortcem

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/historiccemeteries/attachments/20200408/198e99cc/attachment.html>