There isn’t an industry that has been affected in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic. One that’s seen quite the impact is the funeral market. Although the increase in deaths has made crematoriums busier than ever, the restrictions intended to control the spread of the virus have changed how these places can run. These are some of the problems that they’ve faced over the last year.
Smaller Services
Before 2020, it was normal for funerals to be attended by hundreds of people. However, since the pandemic came along, such a large number of guests has been seen as a recipe for disaster. Many people have opted to shrink the size of funeral services for their loved ones, which has put a dent in earnings for many crematoriums.
Although the standard prices are still the same in a lot of places, the smaller size has meant less demand for various add-ons. A lot of people aren’t seeing the need to make funerals a big affair because of lower attendance, so they’re forgoing some of the extras. That’s just those who have the money to pay for such things, too. Many people can’t even afford the basic service due to job losses or medical bills, so they’ve relied on crowdfunding simply to cover the fundamental costs. They’re not about to splash the cash on anything other than the bare necessities.
Reduced Availability
Scheduling funerals never used to be too big of an issue, because services could run one after the other without much break between them. Now, that isn’t possible because of all the cleaning required to keep everything safe and COVID-free. Obviously, this is more problematic for those services that are held indoors, with some places only able to host a few families per day.
Considering the pressure this has put on crematoriums, you might expect them to be less flexible with a customer’s needs. However, that hasn’t been the case at Baldwin Brothers, with people commending the company for their patience and dutifulness in assuming care of their loved ones. Anyone in Florida who’s lost a loved one and needs a helping hand during this difficult time might find it helpful to visit www.baldwincremation.com.
Longer Collection Times
It used to be that collecting a body wasn’t much of a task for funeral homes. However, with the pandemic forcing people to abide by strict safety measures, a lot of places have found themselves with frustrating timing issues. The need to screen people coming and going from the hospital can take as long as 25 minutes, meaning that each collection lasts a lot longer than it should do. Combine that with the fact that there’s an excess of bodies needing to be buried, and it’s no wonder that some funeral directors have struggled to stay on top of everything this year.
Until the pandemic stops being a problem, the funeral market will continue to face the difficulties imposed on them by health restrictions. Hopefully, though, things will improve dramatically in the new year so that some semblance of normality can return for both those in the industry and those who are grieving.
