Kingfisher Funerals of St Neots have bought a Flexmort body-cooling system for people who want to care for their dead at home. Andrew Hickson, who founded the business in 2010, tells us:
“We have seen a marked increase in requests from the family of someone who has died, who do not want the person removed from home to a funeral director’s office.
“We are dedicated to providing our clients with exactly the service they want, not the one we want them to have. We have watched families who have kept a body at home using ice packs, and the emotional value of the experience for them has been incredible. Ice packs can only provide a certain level of cooling however, and need to be changed frequently, especially immediately after death. The Flexmort system can be placed on someone as soon as death has been certified, and left in place until the funeral, with no need for maintenance at all.
“We are happy to allow bereaved families to borrow the system free of charge when we are appointed as funeral directors acting on their behalf. If clients wish to adopt a more DIY approach to arranging a funeral, we would make a charge to cover the loan and delivery of the unit.”
Excellent service – I might have to copy this…
Careful management can avoid the need for expensive equipment and enable families to keep the person who has died at home. The kit: a portable air conditioner, plenty of Techni Ice packs, a north facing room, and a silver insulating blanket placed over the body when the room is unattended will be sufficient in many circumstances for a few days, and once worked for 10 wintry days for a very lean old lady. Of course we need to keep a careful eye, but this does not cost several thousand pounds and may make home funerals more accessible to more people. The willingness and attitude of the funeral director are key.
Well done to Andrew and the staff at Kingfisher Funerals for embracing technology in life and in death