Undertakers tell of the 'heart-wrenching' times they have had to tell families they can't pay their last respects
Nationally it has been reported that funeral homes are running out of coffins’ due to coronavirus deaths, piling pressure not just on the NHS but undertakers too.
The weeks of lockdown have brought agonies for grieving families as they have to endure delays and are unable to mark the loss of their loved ones.
The Lynn News spoke to two local funeral directors to get their perspective on the pandemic.
Thornalley Funeral Services, a family run business in Lynn, said it has been three times as busy since last year.
Andrew Thornalley, director, said they are on call 24-7 with staff dispatched to hospitals and care homes to take the deceased to the chapel of rest.
Mr Thornally said: “Our dedicated family team have been working tirelessly, and have had a lot of collections of the deceased from care homes.
“We fortunately haven’t run out of coffins or PPE, but it has been difficult to adapt to the Government regualtions.”
Families around the country have had to contend with the impossible juggling act of limiting the amount of mourners at a funeral in order to comply with social distancing regulations and prevent further spread of the disease.
Churches have been closed and services have been conducted on a ‘graveside-only’ basis.
This is something, Andrew says that he finds “heartbreaking”.
According to the law, families can now have up to 30 people at a funeral, whereas previously it was only ten, with some services even being held on social media platforms.
Andrew said: “It’s been hard to adapt but we’ve done it, we can no longer sing at services and we have to wear full PPE when the deceased had been suffering from Covid19.
“Also we’ve had to restrict viewings of the deceased which can be hard on families wishing to pay their last respects.
“We are human and having to tell a family ‘I’m sorry but you can’t see dad or mum or son’; it’s been so heart wrenching. “
“We offer after care to all of our clients, but it has been more difficult because of the restrictions, a lot of our business is now conducted over the phone so you do lose that human element.
“Our priority has always been the welfare of the client.”
Mintlynn Crematorium has opened up extra slots since the pandemic started in order to accommodate the mounting demand in the area and is working closely with local funeral homes to conduct it’s services as smoothly as possible in the current climate.
AJ Coggles, a family-run Downham funeral home, has also been extremely busy during the pandemic.
Downham’s ageing population, with an average age of 69, has many residential homes that have had Covid-19 outbreaks in the last year.
David Coggles said: “We have been a lot busier than usual, and we luckily managed to source PPE in the early days from a local supplier. We’ve never had any issues with coffins thankfully.
“We are like one big family here and we’ve stuck together to give our clients the best service we can in the current circumstances.
“We do offer the same level of support as we did from day one, the only restrictions is when it comes to what is put upon us is by the government.
“ We still have a high standard of care, and yes the pandemic has affected us all.
“I feel for the hospital paramedics and the police and the crematorium staff who don’t always get the recognition they deserve, because at the end of the day we are all fighting the same cause, and so far we’re doing really well.”
Coggles has put contingency plans in place for expansion if the demand increases even further in the area, but Mr Coggles hoped that it won’t be needed.
Since the start of the year with the new, more transmissible strain of Covid-19, the QEH has seen more patient deaths.
Another 12 patients have died after testing positive for coronavirus at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, new figures show.
A total of 386 deaths have now been recorded at the QEH since the start of the pandemic last March.
And nearly 40 per cent of them, 143, have occurred in January alone.
The uptick in deaths and cases have caused considerable strain on all local services, and the funeral sector has been doing a remarkable job in keeping their staff and clients safe during this time.
As of the start of the year, all those working in the funeral industry have had the new Covid19 vaccine.
Both Coggles and Thornalley have confirmed their staff have had the jab.
Andrew said: “Life has changed a lot for us. We have had had staff off with Covid, and it’s been scary to see the reality of the disease as we deal with the deceased.
“We’ve conducted some funerals for people as young as 50, which hits home.”
With Government guidelines shifting frequently, the overwhelmed industry is attempting to navigate the choppy waters of a novel situation, with hope that normality will return in the not too distant future.
Local funeral homes are still providing a high quality of care for clients in this period.
Although some of the emotive aspects of after death care have been removed they are trying their very best to ensure that families receive as much support as possible.
The use of technology has aided this, with families who are unable to visit in person can make an appointment over the phone or chat online.
Reports have suggested a severe rise in mental health issues around this time, with Samaritans saying they have had a 30 percent increase in calls. Locally, the instances of suicide appear to have remained constant, with figures similar to pre-pandemic times.
Coggles and Thornalley have said they have not seen a rise in suicide cases over the last year, which is a silver lining in these bleak days.
Grief and loss are a tough subject to deal with at the best of times, and in the midst of a pandemic both businesses and mourners have had to make do with a reduced service in the name of safety.
Andrew noted something touching he has experienced in the absence of normal procedure.
He said: “Sometimes when we go to a family house with a hearse with a limo, we’ve had quite a few times where people have gathered and stood there on the street as a sign of respect.
“ As the hearse goes by they have stood with their heads bowed and its been touching to see. “Things like this have meant a lot to the bereaved.
“It’s been hard on us all but it’s been harder for the families.”
