Nature begins to take its course very soon after death.
Decomposition and its associated trajectory can give rise to very unpleasant memories and cause long lasting emotional scars.
However, spending time with someone you love after they’ve died can be an important part of your journey of saying goodbye.
So embalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them to forestall decomposition.
Depending on the death circumstances, a person may be slightly embalmed, or be more fully embalmed, or, not be embalmed altogether.
The guts of whether to embalm or not is that it is a personal choice.
Embalming Has Three Main Purposes
Sanitation hygiene – the body becomes safe for handling and viewing when micro-organisms are made harmless, whatever the cause of death.
Preservation – it ensures that there will be no problems with deterioration or odour leading up to the disposition.
It enables the person who has died to be viewed or taken home or taken to a marae, or if a celebration of life service is delayed for some reason, or if the body must be repatriated to another city or country.
Cosmetic presentation – embalming restores the person’s natural appearance, giving mourners a much better memory picture.
What Does Embalming Involve?
Disinfecting and preserving fluids are distributed through the body’s arterial system.
Facial features are posed pleasantly and naturally.
Preparation also includes washing, dressing, hairdressing and restoration of natural skin colour.
Viewings, or being taken home or to a marae, or repatriation timeliness is determined by the type of embalming journey administered, and how the deceased behaved.
What Could Non-Embalming Involve?
Facial features, washing, dressing, hairdressing and restoration of natural skin colour.
Viewings of non-embalmed loved ones, especially for direct cremations, is possible and should occur within the first 24-48 hours of death.
Industry Qualifications
Although there is a qualification for the embalming practice, not all people or embalmers are certificated with a qualification.
Notwithstanding, most funeral director operators can have membership to the New Zealand Embalmers Association and therefore, are bound by a code of ethics.
Alternative Options to Embalming
In full no-embalming situations, daily washing, oil applications, low temperature storage of the deceased, or early burial or cremation is something to consider preventing the natural process of decomposition from advancing rapidly.
And yes, some families do have their loved ones at home if they’re not embalmed.
Costs to Embalm
Costs to embalming depends on partial or full embalming and it’s best to obtain an estimate when engaging a funeral director.
Hopefully that clarifies some context around embalming remembering, it is always a personal choice.