As you think about being kind to those you leave behind, consider the question of what a “good death” might look like for you. Would you prefer to die at home, surrounded by friends and family, if that were possible? Or would you like just one or two people by your side, and if so, who? If there is pain…
A death doula is a non-medical person trained to care for someone holistically (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) at the end-of-life. They recognize death as a natural, accepted, and honoured part of life. Death doulas are also known as end-of-life coaches, transition guides, and end-of-life doulas. Although we’ve been dying for thousands of years, it is only in the last…
Many people are not aware that in British Columbia it is legal to care for a body at home. Family and friends are allowed to sit with, wash, dress, and otherwise tend to the body. They can build a casket, make funeral arrangements, and provide transportation to the cemetery or crematorium. There is no legal requirement to use the services…
When a person dies in British Columbia, burial or cremation cannot legally take place until the death has been registered with the Vital Statistics Agency. The executor named in the Will is responsible for this (if no Will, then the next of kin). Although it is usual to hire a licensed funeral director to do this and other death-related tasks, the registration…
After a loved one dies, why keep the body at home? What advantages are there to undertaking the death related tasks ourselves? Don Morris, a death educator from Victoria and one of our teachers, has written the following: Enhances participation – Home funeral vigils offer opportunities for participation which fosters healing from grief. Rochelle Martin of Ontario’s Home Funeral Alternatives says, “family…
Jennifer Stevens died at home on Cortes Island on July 26th, 2022, surrounded by her family. Her body was tended to and remained in her cabin for three days. The friend who built an exquisite casket said, “It was really hard to build that coffin, I just wanted to keep working on it, keep adding things to it, I loved…
Medical Certification of Death or Death Certificate? These are two distinctly different legal documents that are both often referred to as the Death Certificate, thus creating confusion. The Medical Certification of Death or Coroner’s Medical Certificate of Death is a document completed and signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or coroner. It includes the name of the deceased, and the…
Embalming is the art and science of preserving a human body after death to delay decomposition. This practice goes back thousands of years. The Egyptians had elaborate rituals for their pharaohs that included embalming, believing the soul would return to the body, but only if it could recognize the body it belonged to. In the 17th and 18th centuries in…
Cortes DeathCaring Collective is a once a month gathering of folks in which we talk about death, dying, and grief, educate ourselves about current and alternative approaches, and strive to make death truly a part of life in our community. The DeathCaring Collective was inspired by folks from neighbouring Quadra Island, who had already been meeting for a couple of…
After meeting for several years some DeathCaring Collective members, inspired by folks from Denman Island, created a service called Community-Led Death Care. This group of volunteers are ready, even on short notice, to provide practical and emotional support to those approaching or navigating death. In the past, communities cared for their own at death, simply and naturally. Death was a…